Page 70 of The Other Room

With an eye roll, I dropped the facade. “Okay. A lot.”

“Petunia misses you, too, but I told her she couldn’t come with.”

“You’re talking to Petunia now?”

“Oh yeah. We’re like this.” He lifted his hand, twisting his fingers together. “Best friends.”

“Well, I guess ours wasn’t the only relationship to change last night, huh?”

His smile stretched wide, deepening his dimples. “I moved you out of the best friend spot to the girlfriend spot, and Petunia leapt from arch-nemesis to best friend.”

“I still get to be your best friend, too.” Leaning forward onto the bar, I pushed into his space, stopping before I let my lips do what they wanted to do.

Kiss him. Because for the first time in our lives, I could.

Desire flickered in his eyes and I glanced to his lips as they inched toward mine.

“Thanks for the margs!” Sheena called, snapping me back to my senses.

I was working. Making out over the bar with my new hot boyfriend was definitely not on the list of acceptable behaviors at JJ’s.

“You got it,” I responded, leaning back just before our lips met.

“Oh!” Sheena called, and I spun to see her grinning, eyebrows waggling as she looked at Matt. “Now I get it. Niiiiiice.”

“Go!” I laughed, shooing her away.

“Get what?” Matt asked, settling back into his stool.

“Nothing. But we need ground rules.”

“Rules? That doesn’t sound like fun.”

“No kissing at the bar while I’m working.”

“Definitely not fun.”

“I’m at work. You can’t be coming in here looking all hot and giving me the bedroom eyes.”

“You can come to my work and kiss me. Ted won’t give a shit. Hell, he’ll probably give me a high-five when you leave.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “No making me want to make out with you at the bar. Deal?”

“Deal,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

“So, since you’re here for non-seductive reasons, do you want lunch? Perch special today.”

“Actually,” he said, his scowl lifting into a huge smile, “I came to tell you I have news.”

“News? What kind? Good or bad?”

“Neither. It’s amazing news.”

“What is it?”

His smile was contagious as he leaned forward on the bar. “So, our neighbors two doors down have apparently been watching my progress on the cabin.”

“Yeah?”