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The way she had gasped when he’d bitten her lip, her eyes dark with delight. It had taken every ounce of his restraint to pull back when she’d come forward to return the favor, but he’d done it, wanting to win that round.

Now his thoughts returned to the moment again and again. What if he hadn’t pulled away? What if he’d let her bite him?

Where could things have gone? He’d imagined a thousand different scenarios, each one more torturous than the last, because no matter how well they played out in his head, the satisfaction wasn’t complete since they weren’t real.

On the upside, now that he wasn’t using his every free brain cell to think of ways to vex her, he actually had time to make plans with Mateo, who had followed up on Grayson’s suggestion that they grab drinks together.

Later that week, Grayson headed over to William’s pub on Main Street after the bookstore closed. There, he waited for Mateo to take a break from the restaurant. Because it was a Thursday night, the pub was pretty full, and Grayson shuffled on his feet as he waited, feeling weird to be there alone.

“Hey!” a voice called, and Grayson turned to see Mateo approaching. “How are you doing, man?” he asked, giving Grayson an easy smile.

“Hey, good,” Grayson replied. “Do you— How was your day?”

“Not bad,” Mateo replied. “Let’s get some drinks. Do you want to play a round of billiards?”

“Sure!”

Grayson was glad to have something to do rather than just stand around being awkward. They got pints from the bar, then set up a game of billiards.

“So how long have you known Charles?” Grayson asked, holding his pool stick.

Mateo thought about it, taking the first shot. The balls scattered across the table. “For as long as I can remember, honestly,” Mateo replied. “But probably since he opened up the bookstore. I think I was a little kid then.”

“Oh,” Grayson replied. He wanted to ask more but wasn’t sure what exactly to ask. His mind turned it over as he eyed the billiards table, searching for the best move to make.

“That was around when he and my dad became friends, even though Charles is much older,” Mateo continued, as if sensing Grayson’s thoughts.

Grayson paused, paying attention to Mateo’s words. He yearned to hear more, but he was here to get to know Mateo, not interrogate him about Grayson’s grandfather.

Grayson took his shot, one of the pool balls sinking into the pocket. “Have you always lived in Little Brook?” he asked.

“Yup,” Mateo replied. “Never lived anywhere else. What about you? Where’d you live in Ireland?”

Slowly, the hangout became more natural, the two of them talking with ease as they played. As they finished up the round of billiards and started another, Grayson told Mateo a bit about growing up in Ireland and the boarding school he’d gone to, while Mateo told him about Little Brook and how he and Alba were high school sweethearts.

At that, Mateo paused during his turn. “Do you have a girl?” he asked.

Grayson’s thoughts strayed to Lucy, to her tucked into his side as they snapped a photo.

“No,” Grayson replied. He inwardly cringed at how defensive he sounded.

Mateo gave him a funny glance, as if he’d read Grayson’s thoughts. “Anyone you’re interested in, maybe?” he asked, hitting a colorful ball into a pocket.

“What am I, a schoolboy with a crush?” Grayson asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. He was thirty years old, for god’s sake.

“Hey, there’s no time limit on crushes!” Mateo said, sinking another ball. “I’ve still got a crush on my wife, and we have a kid together.”

Grayson thought that was sweet. “To be fair, Alba’s pretty great,” he said. He had seen her around Main Street a few more times, and luckily the other two times she had come into Crawley Books, her daughter hadn’t thrown up on Grayson.

“She loves the bookstore,” Mateo said. He paused, glancing over at Grayson. “Her and Lucy really get along.”

Grayson’s heart started pounding at the mere mention of Lucy, which was ridiculous. It wasn’t as if speaking her name would conjure her presence. Still, his palms grew sweaty around the pool cue.

“Right,” Grayson said, mind going blank. Mateo’s turn was over, but Grayson made no moves.

Mateo bit back a smile. “Lucy’s great,” he said, watching Grayson’s expression carefully. Grayson felt entirely exposed somehow, and he cleared his throat, forcing a cavalier smile.

“Enough trying to distract me,” he said, chalking the end of his cue stick. “Let’s play.”