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“Come on, let’s have some food,” he says, voice clipped, guards up.
Aaaand, we’re back to square one.
Chapter 9: Austin
I dive into the fridge and grab another couple of beers before I join Connor on the couch. We have an awkward moment of exchanging plates and cutlery, then I hook my foot under the coffee table and pull it closer so I can put both beers on it. And then we just sit there, in silence. Once I dig in, I realize how hungry I am. Apart from theviennoiseriethat Connor brought this morning, my jet-lagged self hasn’t had much to eat and has slightly lost track of time. “Mmm, delicious,” I mumble between two bites of pasta with grated cheese. After I wash away the taste with my beer, I tilt my chin in his direction. He’s sitting stiff as a statue, his empty plate on his knees and even the large glasses can’t hide the far-away look in his eyes. For a shy boy, he’s a damn fast eater. “You good?”
He tears his gaze away from God knows where, blinks a few times, and turns to face me. He flushes again and sweet pink decorates his cheeks and neck, making him look even more gorgeous. “Uh yes. Yes.” He stands up, but when he leans over to take my plate, I swat his hands away.
“No, let me. You cooked.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You cooked.” I stack the plates and make my way to the sink, turning on the coffee machine along the way. “D’you enjoy cooking?”
Instead of answering me, he turns to the desk and opens his laptop. If it wasn’t for his tense demeanor, I’d think hehadn’t heard me, though I now know that he has simplymoved on to shutting me out as usual. I let it be, instead busying myself with washing up all the dishes before preparing our coffee. When I head back toward him barely ten minutes later, he’s busy tapping on his phone.
Connor Donnelly is a shy, introverted, fascinating mystery. And I’m…well,shameless. A son of a bitch who only gets through to this mystery man by cornering him and lavishing him with seduction. “You remember William Evans from college?”
With both hands wrapped around his mug, he frowns. “No. Should I?”
“He was on the hockey team.”
“Well, I didn’t know anyone from the hockey team,” he shrugs. “What? That shouldn’t surprise you.”
“All right, since you asked me to fill you in: Will occasionally fucked a guy named Noah Prince.”
“So?” But his voice falls flat and I know why. That motherfucker used to bully Connor, at least that’s what Will told me.He also told me something else. “You came to watch me during every match?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His denial comes out breathy. “Anyway, let’s focus on more important matters, already. School’s out.”
“So Will thought you were on the swim team?”
“I wasn’t.” He leans back and crosses his arms in front of his chest like a stubborn child, sending daggers from behind his glasses. I let him, being way too curious now that I’ve got this on a roll, despite having to pull the answers out of him. At least he’s talking. “But you were in the pool often?”
“Yes. On my own.”
“Of course.”
He lets out a sigh and my chest clenches at the realization that he must have spent so much time alone. “So you like swimming?”
He fists his hands until his knuckles turn white. “Yes.”
“What was your major? I realized I never asked. Will wasn’t sure.”
“Software technology,” he lets out through gritted teeth.
“Cool. Mine was Business. Building A, most of the time. And the sports field.”
He gives me a clipped nod, then empties half his coffee in one go. “Well, I’m glad that we got that cleared up.”
I shake my head with a grin, then pat my knees and get up to grab his laptop from the desk. “You wanted to check on these cults, right?”
He clenches his jaw and gives me a stiff, absent nod. He’s back on his phone, practically flipping me the bird when he mumbles, “Later. Philippe’s arrived, he’s coming up.” He gives me a swift once over with the usual unreadable expression in those tragically beautiful eyes. “Can you please—can you please behave? He’s one of our best informants.”
“What makes you think I won’t?” Here I was, being so caught up in my fascination for him, that I forgot how annoying he can be. And he callsmecocky?
Connor lets out a sigh. “You know what I mean.”
