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“You busy tomorrow?”
I smile. “What do you have in mind?”
“Nothing crazy. As you already know, I have a test to prepare for, but Mia’s working at SeaBird, and the rest of the girls are taking their boys there to hang out while she’s on her shift. So, I was thinking I could hang out with one of my new, boring friends while I study or something.”
“You have multiple boring friends?” I challenge, stepping closer.
Amused, she lifts her chin, defiant as ever, as she murmurs, “Only one.”
“Does that make me yourspecialboring friend?”
“It makes you a guy who’s willing to turn on a mind-numbing hockey game while I study for an upcoming test so we can be not lonely together. You know,”––she shrugs one of her shoulders––“if you’re still interested.”
“Yeah, Kate.” My fingers itch to brush away the dark, silky strands sticking to her forehead, but I stop myself, fisting them around my set of keys and letting the cold metal bite into my skin instead. “I’m definitely still interested.”
“Okay.” She smiles again, but it fades slightly. “Any chance you’d be willing to come to my place? I have a little while until––”
“Why don’t I pick you up and bring you to my place?” I offer.
She shakes her head and takes a step away from me as if the idea of accepting my help is almost more than she can bear. “Oh no, you don’t have to––”
“It’s no trouble,friend. I’ll swing by on my way home from work around six, okay?”
Indecision mars her pretty features, and her straight white teeth dig into her tempting bottom lip before she gives in and lets out a sigh. “Okay.”
“Okay?” I repeat, my brow quirking.
“Yeah. Okay,” she returns with a little more assurance.
“Good. Now, go back inside. It’s cold as shit out here.”
“To be fair, I’m pretty sure shit is actually kind of warm, but––”
I shove her gently. “Go on, my little porcupine.”
With a light laugh, she turns around and rushes toward the entrance, calling over her shoulder, “Okay, my little golden retriever.”
Golden retriever.
If Theo ever found out Kate looks at me like I’m a golden retriever, I’d never hear the end of it.
Shaking my head, I wait until she’s tucked safely inside the building, refusing to acknowledge how impossible it is to keep my gaze from finding her curvy ass.
The girl’s a damn siren, and she doesn’t even know it.
Which can only mean one thing. This whole friendship scenario might be harder than I anticipated.
14
KATE
“You sure you don’t want to come?” Ash asks as she lines her eyelids with soft brown makeup. The girl’s beautiful on a bad day, but when she’s decked out in makeup and dressed to the nines, she’s drop-dead gorgeous. I can see why Colt’s so obsessed with her. He better not screw this up.
Resting my shoulder against the bathroom doorjamb, I answer, “I’m okay. Thanks, though. I need to study.”
“You study too hard, and that’s coming from a girl who’s a tutor and is trying to become ateacher.” She quirks her brow and holds my gaze through the mirror as if confirming her point is made loud and clear.
I suck my lips between my teeth, then let them go. “Maybe some other time.”
