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I nodded, heading to the kitchen to grab him a glass of wine. Even though he didn’t look like a guy who drank it, I liked that we shared something in common.
Grabbing a glass from the cupboard, I pulled the bottle from the fridge and made my way back out into the living room.
Cyrus was sitting on the couch, looking at the book I was reading. “Jane Austen. Good choice.”
Sitting beside him, I poured a glass of the white wine from New Zealand I had fallen in love with, and handed it to him.
“Thank you.” He clinked his glass against mine and took a sip, his eyes never straying from mine.
My cheeks heated.
He winked over the rim.
Taking a sip from my own glass, I leaned back against the couch. Happy and content just to sit there in silence with him, I liked having him in my home.
“How long have you lived here for?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us.
Placing the glass on the table in front of us, I turned toward him.A few months.
“There’s some heavy-duty security here,” he pointed out. “You even have a security system in here. You don’t see that a lot in apartments.”
I lived at the center for over a year but wanted to have something I could call my own,I signed slowly for him.I don’t make enough to buy a house. Jay and the other ladies who run the place, had their husbands look into an apartment building for those of us at the center that are ready to move out. They made sure it was safefor us. Angel, Jay’s husband, said that if he wouldn’t want his wife or kid living there, then it wasn’t good enough.It had been sweet of him to look out for me, like he did his own. Jay’s eyes had welled at that, and I was sure that if swooning was actually a thing, she would have done it.
“That’s good.” Cyrus placed his glass on the table beside mine. “I’m glad you have people looking out for you.”
Me too.I remembered back to our conversation, wondering if everything was actually okay with him.How is everything? I’m surprised you didn’t have plans tonight. Especially when it’s Friday.
What are you implying, pet?he asked, raising an eyebrow.
My body buzzed over the fact that he signed for me. I only shrugged, unsure as to how to answer him.
“There’s a strip club I usually go to with my brother, but I wasn’t feeling it tonight. He’s been in a mood, so I told him to go get laid.” Cyrus shook his head, running a hand through his dark hair. “He’s a stubborn ass though and won’t go after the one woman he wants.”
Sounds confusing.
“Yeah.” His eyes dropped to my mouth. “But enough about him. What would you spend your night doing if I wasn’t here?”
A smile pulled at my lips. Jumping from the couch, I headed to the TV stand and opened the bottom cupboard before pulling out the item I was looking for.
“You play video games?”
I laughed, nodding quickly.
His eyes widened a touch. “You laughed.”
My neck heated, the smile falling from my face.
“No.” He rose from the couch and came toward me. Pulling me to my feet, he cupped my cheek. “Never feel ashamed over laughing. I’m just surprised. I haven’t heard a sound leave you yet. Thank you for giving that to me.”
Covering his hand against my cheek, I pushed my face into his big palm. His thumb brushed along the edge of my jaw, dipping lower to run under it.
“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” he asked, his voice low.
I shook my head.
“Well, you are, Ainsley.” He took a step closer. “So fucking beautiful.”
Tilting my head back, I stared up into his dark eyes. They were filled with lust, desire, and so much more. Feelings I had never seen before. Not directed toward me anyway. I had seen Jaron look at Piper like this, like she was the only who mattered in his world. Besides their daughter and unborn baby, she was. She was his life and he the same for her. I wanted that. But I had never gone out and looked for it because the guys at the center were just as broken as I was. And any of the guys who worked there had their own shit to deal with.
