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But that didn’t mean I wanted his grumpy ass ruiningmynight.Too late.
I search the dishwasher. No saucepan.
Bear lets out a series of thundering barks. I stand up too quickly, bumping my temple on the counter. “Fuck,” I grumble, rubbing my head. “Bear, you can’t play with the moose. I know you think you’re bigger than they are, but you’re not. We’ve talked about this—”
“Hey, Bear.” The sound of Kinley’s voice soothes me in a single heartbeat. The tension from moments ago dissipates when I meet her sparkling eyes. “Hey,” she says to me, a soft smile tugging at her bright red lips. “I rang the doorbell, but—”
“It’s disconnected.”
“Oh, well that explains it.” She tucks her hair behind one ear, giving me a look that’s both shy and flirtatious as she approaches with slow, cautious steps. “I hope it’s okay that I’m here.” She looks past me, to the mess on the counters. “What happened to your kitchen?”
“Just cooking a few things.”
“Oh?”
The air fryer dings, forcing me to spin around and pull out the apple fritters before they get overdone. I spot the saucepan in the sink.There you are, you bastard.I feel Kinley’s presence behind me. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to turn around and clutch her against my chest. The desperation I feel for her tonight is unsettling, and frankly, it scares the hell out of me. It’s why I didn’t call or text her despite how badly I wanted to. “Mind grabbing a stick of butter out of the fridge?”
“Just one?”
“Yep.”
“Everything okay?” With that casual tone, she might as well be asking about the weather.
“Yeah. Cas just needed to reset a password.” I meet her gaze for a flittering moment, then drop mine to the wrapped stick of butter in her hand. “Can you cut that up into the saucepan?”
“Is there another bake sale or you blowing off steam?” Kinley asks without looking up.
“That obvious, huh?”
“I waited for you to text me.” The hint of hurt in her tone cuts me life a knife. I’ve always been in love with Kinley, long before I even understood what love was all about. Why does everything have so much gravity to it all of a sudden? Was it the mention of Anchorage that reminded me I might damn well lose her again? With the way my shoulders tense in an instant, I decide that must be it.
“It was getting late. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Oh.”
Apple fritters out of the air fryer, I turn my attention to melting the butter. Kinley stands beside me, our arms brushing. If she was wise, she’d put a little space between us. I might not be in the right headspace for confessions of love, but I’d fuck her long and hard into tomorrow if she just said the word. I clench the pot’s handle so tightly my knuckles turn white. I feel like an ass, being so distant. “I wasn’t in a great mood. Didn’t want to spoil your night.”
Her fingers brush my bicep, her gentle touch emitting a fire that burns in my arm and moves slowly up my shoulder, through my chest, and straight down to my dick. It hardens in an instant. “We’re friends, Rowan. At least, I hope we are again. More than that even. You can always call me. Good or bad.”
I focus on adding the rest of the ingredients to the browned butter, whisking the icing with a ridiculous amount of force. Still, my pulse quickens with each second her fingers hold steady on my arm. “I don’t want to talk about any of that tonight,okay?”
“Okay.” Kinley’s hand slips away and she presses her cheek to my bicep. “Do I get to try one of those amazing smelling pastries?”
I can’t resist the temptation to flash her a dark, devious look. “Only if you’re good.”
Kinley turns her cheek until her lips brush my shirt sleeve. “Maybe I don’t want to be good.” She gently digs her teeth into my skin, biting me. “Maybe I want to be bad. Very,verybad.”
CHAPTER15
Kinley
Okay, that was probably the wine talking. Because I’m way too reserved to speak so boldly on a normal day. I consider taking the words back, but I quickly realize I don’t want to. For once, I want to be the bad girl—at least when it comes to Rowan and all the dirty things we might do together. I just need to embrace my inner she-wolf.
“Kin.” There’s warning in his husky tone. I ignore it.
“I want this, Rowan.” My hand explores the contours of his hard chest. “I wantyou.”
He flips the burner off and braces one hand against the counter. “Kinley, I don’t think you realize what you’re asking.” His words sound strangled.
