20. Colder

Her scent wasin my brain and now all over my skin.

Lesson, my ass.

She'd demolished me and didn't even know it. Those huge blue eyes had shattered me. I'd watched her come so hard her eyes had gone blind.

I'd taken her in there for a quickie. It was supposed to be a fun end to a game.

I should have known better. Nothing about us and our little games—or lessons—were simple.

I was gone for her.

Unequivocally.

Now I had to go into that lobby full of my friends and act like I hadn't just had my whole life rearranged.

Best part?

She had no fucking clue.

I was her teacher, hell…she'd actually tried to hire me to do this. And now I was the one fucked sideways.

Not just because of her body, which was already driving me absolutely insane, but that busy brain of hers had me wound up and ready to ask her for everything.

To be mine—not part of some twisted class. And definitely not to answer deep, searching questions for research.

Because I wanted her to know me just as much as I wanted to know her.

The real her.

The real me.

I wanted more and I wasn't entirely sure she'd be down for the same. And the only way I could find out would be to put all of me on the line.

No failsafes.

I hovered at the edge of the hallway entrance to the lobby. The room was full of professionals. Callahan, who owned Lonegan's and three other bars in the area—not that he advertised that part to people. He liked being the neighborhood bar owner.

Eli—lawyer.

Dahlia—owned a design studio with her friends.

Amberly—a web designer.

Iona—worked her ass off for a designer from the city.

Hell, even my brother owned a business.

Duncan wasn't here today, but even he had shot to podcast fame from starting off as a starving sportswriter.

Me, I was a fucking bartender with a studio apartment no bigger than a thimble. And that was only because of my aunt.

The truth of what I had to offer had never been at the forefront of my mind. I'd always sailed through life doing just enough to get through the day. I was just what Naomi had been expecting.

A good time.

Jimmy spotted me and frowned, then he crossed to me. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

"That look on your face says otherwise." He drew me toward the desk, away from the laughter and good-natured smack talk that usually boosted my mood on a Sunday afternoon.

Trivia Sunday was easy and fun.

My job was easy and fun.

My life was easy and fun.

Until Naomi.

Jimmy glanced over to the hallway. "Oh. Well, shit, little brother."

I turned and there she was. The pink in her cheeks was still high, but the fragile girl next door was gone. She lifted her chin and went over to meet Iona at the snack counter.

"Guess it had to happen sooner or later."

I snapped my attention to him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Us Banks men don't go for the easy women. Well, when it matters. When Brian told me you were into your neighbor, I figured she would be the usual distraction."

My hands fisted at my sides.

His grin widened. "Not just a distraction at all, huh?" He folded his arms and leaned against the desk. "Did I ever tell you how I met Shan?"

"Yeah, she fixed your fuse box at the shop."

"That's my girl, the electrician. Ball-buster with all those brothers." He shook his head. "They still hate me, but it sure doesn't stop them from eating all my damn pizza, though."

I snorted. My brother bitched about the family he'd inherited when he married Shannon, but I'd never seen him happier. Family suited him, while I'd been content to make my own with friends.

"But that wasn't the first time I met her. Just easier to tell people that story than a one-night stand in Cabo."

"What?" My eyebrows shot up.

"Yep. When Richie got married at that all-in-one resort."

"I didn't know you had it in you, Jimmy." My brother had been the responsible one for as long as I could remember. After our mom died, a lot of crap had fallen on his shoulders until our dad had gotten his head straight. Even then, he'd skipped college to help raise me.

He laughed. "You and me both. But she left me the next morning after she rocked my goddamn world. Didn't think I'd ever find her again—and she walked in my damn pizza shop, man. I recognize the look." He shrugged. "I've seen it in the mirror."

"What's the look?"

"Epiphany." He slapped my arm. "Don't look so shocked. I know the big words too."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not why I'm shocked. Though I am a little surprised you knew that word."

He snickered. "Shan has me watching that damn Bridgerton show. They talk all fancy, but it makes her happy, so I watch. And I bet you find yourself doing shit you usually wouldn't with Naomi, now don't you?"

I swallowed. More than I could ever explain.

"Don't rabbit. She seems to be a solid one."

I didn't want to. In fact, I was afraid it was the exact opposite. I was going to hold on too tightly and she might be the one to try and wiggle free. "She is. I just don't think she sees me as a solid one in return. That's the problem." I gripped the back of my neck. The small welts from her nails were hot under my hand.

"So make her see it." He waggled his eyebrows at me. "She keeps looking over here. I bet she likes you for more than your…talents."

"Asshole."

He threw back his head with a hearty chuckle. "Another Banks trait. When the one comes into our lives, it's never easy."

That was for fucking sure. I hadn't been prepared for her, or for that damn pink raincoat that first drew my attention. Now I was so off-balance I was rethinking my whole damn life.

"Now can we go have a damn beer? Enough of this mush crap."

I laughed. "Yeah. I could definitely use a beer."

Cal speared me with a look. "You finally ready?"

"Start the game, man. I'm ready." I passed Naomi on the couch, and she caught my hand. I smiled down at her, and relief washed over her face. I tugged her to her feet and got the second reproachful glance of the day from Iona. "I'll bring her right back."

"Are we okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." I drew her over to the coffee station and automatically fixed her a ginger ale and tossed some strawberries into the cup before handing it to her.

Her eyes softened before she took a drink. "You always remember."

"My job to remember what people like."

She licked her lips as she glanced at my mouth, then she looked back up at my eyes. "You left so fast."

"I know." I tucked the stray strand of hair that kept falling into her face around her ear. "Because these lessons are becoming more than research to me."

Her eyes widened.

"Just letting you know." I grabbed a beer from the cooler and nodded back to the couches where Cal was waving us over. "Ready for round two?"

She nodded.

The tightness in my chest eased a little after my first confession. Now I just had to find a way to deserve her.

The rest of the trivia day ended with us transitioning into watching a new movie that had recently come to Netflix. Cal left to open the bar for the evening. Sundays were a slow day, but people liked to watch sports with a beer and Cal was happy to oblige. A few people drifted off to do other things leaving just me, Naomi, Iona, and my brother.

We reheated the pasta and my brother conveniently left before cleaning up. Considering the amount of food he'd brought, it only seemed fair. Iona also managed to make herself scarce, leaving me and Naomi alone.

She was just as fastidious with our communal space as she was when she came to my place. I put on some music, and we finished up in comfortable silence. I still wasn't quite sure what to say to her after what had happened in the storage room.

I'd left the ball in her court once more—which I hated.

But I'd changed the rules, and it was time for Naomi to decide if she was good with that or if she wanted to see if we could be more than just sex and research.

When the lobby was put back to rights and the garbage was cleared away, we both got back on the elevator.

Before we got to our floor, she turned to me. "I need to do some work. My brain is buzzing, but can I see you later?"

I drew her closer and dipped my head down to meet her lips. "Definitely. Looking for another lesson?"

I had to be all right with that, but I couldn't help but ask.

She went up on her toes to meet my mouth in a sweet kiss. Not the usual heat and intensity that seemed to drive us both. This was the real Naomi and I gentled it even more to show her the real me.

She sighed into my mouth and raised her hand to touch my cheek. "No lessons. I just want to be with you."

I touched my forehead to hers. "That sounds really good to me."

The doors opened and I walked her backwards off the elevator, each kiss a little longer than the last. I inched her along the hallway past my door and down to the end of the hall to her door.

I pinned her there and my blood heated. "Don't take too long."

"I'll write really fast."

"You do that."

"I will." She said it between kisses. "Like super fast."

"Good." I gripped her hip, my fingers digging into the curve of her ass. I situated myself between her thighs to remind her where I liked to be best.

She moaned. "I really have to work."

I eased back. "If you have to."

She fumbled behind her back for the doorknob. "Super fast."

"So you've said." I grinned down at her. "I'll even cook you dinner."

Her eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Yep. Anything you hate?"

"Nope. I'm good with anything."

"Then it's a date."

She bit her lower lip. "A date." The door opened and she giggled as she stumbled back. "How's eight sound?"

"Eight it is." I nibbled that lip for her, and then reluctantly, I backed up to let her go inside.

I had a menu to figure out. It had been a damn long time since I'd planned a date. Especially one this important.