Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

It’shard to form words with Kieran gazing up at me like I’m a big damn hero. At most, I saved him from a tetanus shot… but I don’t mind having him look at me like that.

Not one bit.

No problem, I should say. It was easy. But it’s hard to pay attention to words when his lips are just inches away. Both his hands are flat on my chest, and my skin tingles with the weight of him against my thigh and chest.

Now that I’ve got Kieran right here, fitting against me so perfectly… nothing else matters.

I don’t want to let him go.

With Kieran’s chin tipped up toward me, his breathing is quick and hot against my cheek. I can’t help responding to it, leaning down a little. Kieran closes his eyes and melts into my hold, letting me take his weight as he tips back his chin.

I lean down.

There’s no time to think about it. There’s only time to do what comes naturally?—

Plop.

Cold water drips on the back of my neck, and the moment shatters. I’m never going to admit to the sound that just escaped me, but Kieran is laughing his ass off as I pull us both to safety.

“That’s fucking cold!” I’m still clutching Kieran tightly against me, shuddering until the neck of my T-shirt soaks up the droplet.

“No shite.” Kieran snorts. “What did you think I was screaming about?”

“A spider!”

Kieran suddenly leaps onto me, flinging his arms around my neck. He locks his legs around my waist, and I have to grab him by the ass so I don’t drop him. “Where?” Kieran yelps. “Is it on me?”

It’s my turn to start laughing. “No!” I laugh. “Shit. I thought that’s what you felt!”

Kieran goes still in my arms and leans back to look at me. His ass is still deliciously firm and distracting in my palms. “Wait. There’s no spider?”

“There’s no spider,” I tell him, my lips twitching. Considering all the stuff in storage, and what a cozy spot this is… there must be spiders in here. But I don’t mind sharing the little white lie I was telling myself to get to sleep tonight.

“Just water,” Kieran breathes out, slowly thumping his forehead against my shoulder two or three times. “Duh.”

I snort and then clear my throat, reluctantly letting go of Kieran as he climbs off me. Both of us are blushing furiously, and neither of us seems to know what to say.

If it hadn’t been for that raindrop, we would have kissed.

Wait a minute. A raindrop… inside. The roof is leaking.

“Shit.”

I grab the camping lantern and raise it to the ceiling, but I can’t quite make out where the water’s coming in. The rain is too loud on the roof to hear it land on the floor, either.

But at least nothing in here is important?—

“Fuck.”

I turn on my heel and sprint toward the little hallway, still clutching the lantern.

“Don’t even think about leaving me in the dark with the not-spiders,” Kieran calls out as he chases after me to the bedroom.

“Sorry. Give me a minute.”

Kieran watches from the doorway as I bend over to sweep the lantern back and forth, looking for any puddles of water.

Nothing.

“Phew. I can set up my sleeping bag in here?—”

I turn to find Kieran walking toward the wooden crates. He stops in front of them and runs a hand across the swoops and swirls of my grandma’s writing—Sunrise Cider—and then he looks up at me.

“Don’t be a dumbass. You live with me now. Grab your stuff,” Kieran tells me. I stare at him and he just winks at me.

“Uh…” I freeze on the spot, trying to sort through all the clashing impulses in my brain

I want more excuses to be around him. There’s a spark. I can’t deny it. But… we barely even know each other. I definitely can’t impose on him. And for how long? I don’t know how much time it’ll take to fix up the roof…

“That doesn’t look like packing up.” Kieran drums his fingertips against the crates.

I scowl at him. “No, I’m fine. It’s… mostly dry.”

“A famously desirable housing situation.”

“—and mostly empty—” I stubbornly continue.

I wanted to do this all by myself, not rely on anyone else. Even kind strangers… or even sexy, funny, completely charming neighbours.

Kieran straightens up and lifts his chin, every bit as stubborn as I am right now. “Mostly empty, yeah. Your lawnmower is my favourite roommate. And the saws that almost killed me.”

My cheeks are burning again as I try with everything I have not to let him charm me. “—and, uh. Only temporarily off-grid.”

“Are you telling me you’d rather not have a fridge? Or lights?” Kieran points at the long-empty light socket in the ceiling. “Or a hot shower?”

God. He’s got me there.

Kieran’s eyes glimmer with triumph. “And,” he says, strolling toward me with his hands in his pockets, “a real table to eat dinner. Without any uninvited spider guests.”

I shudder, but my stomach grumbles. “Playing dirty, huh?” I murmur. I’m still holding the lantern up like an innkeeper from Ye Olde Times as Kieran stops just inches away from me—well inside my personal space.

He tips his chin up at me, and for a moment, that electric charge builds between us again.

Then Kieran grins up at me. “Yep,” he says brightly. “Come on, pack everything up.” Then, as if the decision is already made, he turns his back and marches out—darkness or no.

I scowl at his retreating back.

This is wild.

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more stubborn than I am. And, honestly? I kinda like it.

“What just happened?” I mumble, following in Kieran’s wake like a dinghy getting towed behind a yacht. It’s even funnier consiering I could pick him up with one hand.

“I can be very persuasive. And, failing that, stubborn,” Kieran winks. “It’s in my blood. And it’s not in my nature to leave you here in a sh…” he trails off, a little too late.

My lips twitch. “A shed?” I suggest as I stuff everything back into my bag.

“Yes.” Kieran’s eyes sparkle as he grins up at me. “Yes, that’s definitely the diplomatic word I was thinking of.”

I clear my throat, scowling at the damp towel as I fight to roll it up small enough. “It’s my great-grandparents’ old cabin, you know,” I tell him. “It hasn’t been lived in for a long time, I’ll give you that. But the bones are solid.”

Kieran comes around the counter and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I can see that,” he says quietly.

Warmth gathers underneath each of his fingertips, until suddenly I can feel the hair standing up along my arm, all the way to my fingertips. My heartbeat speeds up a little. His hair smells real nice, too, like he just showered before he came over.

Huh. Would you look at that?

Kieran’s good at provoking me, but he also seems to know how to calm me down. My rising defensiveness is gone.

As I zip my bag closed, I sigh ruefully. “It’s just got a few cracks, like everything. Life does that.”

Kieran crookedly smiles. He grabs the bag of food and the lantern, leading the way to the front door. “Until someone comes along to fix up all the cracks and make the broken things bloom again.”

That’s a beautiful way of putting it. Beautiful and sad. It’s just occurring to me now that I don’t know nearly as much about Kieran as he knows about me. But I really hope I get to find out.

I grab the grocery bags, and just like that, we’re good to go?—

“Whoa,” I yelp, lurching backward. Kieran almost took my eye out with the umbrella. He can’t help it—he is a lot shorter than me—but this isn’t gonna work. His arm will be tired before we even get to his place. “Here. I’ll take that.”

“If you insist,” Kieran giggles. “See? I’ll let you win sometimes.” He gives me a sassy wink, and then he wraps a hand around my arm to let me walk him home. “Take me home, handsome.”

My cheeks flush as I wink right back at him. “Of course. But you’ll have to tell me where home is now.”

“Oh, right! That way.”

I shake my head as Kieran bounces alongside me to the road, then turns to head toward the wharf. “Do you charm strangers into staying with you like this all the time?”

“I’ll tell you a secret…” Kieran says mischievously.

He’s stretching up to walk on tiptoe and whisper in my ear. His breath is warm on my neck, his body hot against my arm… and it’s making it a lot harder to think straight, all of a sudden.

“I charm strangers into doing an awful lot of things.” Then Kieran sinks back down, beaming up at me as he swishes along with every step. “You’ll see.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Despite myself, my grumpy scowl cracks into a smile—and then, at last, a rich laugh. “I don’t doubt that at all, Kieran Walsh.”