Page 26

Keaton followed me. “I’ll help.”
It wasn’t exactly a two-person job and the pantry, while well-stocked, wasn’t huge.
Keaton entered behind me anyway and closed the door, trapping us inside in the dimly lit space.
“Kind of intimate quarters here,” I chuckled nervously, searching for the plates.
“Are you close with Colt?” he asked, voice low.
“We’re friends,” I shrugged. “We email and text sometimes. I kissed him goodbye when he left a few years ago for the Navy, but it was only meant as a friendly goodbye sort of thing. Why do you ask?”
Forgetting the plates for a moment, I crossed my arms and leaned on the shelves across from him. He leaned, too, leavingonly a couple feet of space between us. The heat of the day must have warmed up his after shave because the spicy minty scent of it permeated the room.
“Just wondered if there was something between you two I didn’t know about.” He shrugged it off as nothing, like when he asked me if I intended to go out with Declan a couple of weeks ago when the hockey player made another visit from Canada.
As cute as Declan was, I’d resisted his charms, especially after seeing his Instagram full of photos with him dating a Canadian pop star off and on over the past year. I’ve been a rebound date before and never intended to repeat that experience.
“Like I said, just friends. I found Colt to be funny?—”
Keaton’s jaw flexed. “Funny? Funnier than me?”
I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Mm-hmm. I suppose you think you have some claim on me since we’re about to go on this date in Vegas?”
He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and took a step closer. I couldn’t back up.
“I just know that Colt is not your type.”
“How about Declan? Is he my type?”
“Absolutely not.” His growly voice gave him away.
“Oh? And you think you know my type now?” I challenged.
“I’ve been observing. Purely information gathering. You know, out of concern because you say you haven’t had a decent date in so long.”
My heart beat faster. That explained the way I’d catch him staring at me sometimes.
“And what have you concluded, Kingston?” I enjoyed using his last name whenever I skipped into flirting territory with him.
“That you need someone more grounded. Someone who builds things instead of running from them. A solid man who knows what he’s about and where he’s headed.”
“Someone like you?” I arched a brow.
“Maybe.” He took another step, so close now I could feel his breath on my skin.
“Are you saying our date in Vegas could be the date to beat all the others?” I swallowed hard. I’d love nothing more than to see what Keaton was capable of when he went all out for a woman. Er, not that he’d be doing that for me, but in a pretend dating situation, I’d let him show me an example of a great date.
I fluttered my lashes up at him, staring straight into the blue depths of his eyes. His gaze dropped to my mouth as I licked my lips.
He leaned in, brushing my arms as his palms came to rest against the counter on each side of my waist. Closer still. Goosebumps rippled across my skin.
“I’m saying I could definitely show you a good time in Vegas, if you let me, city girl.”
If he leaned in a little more, we could kiss. I could finally stop fantasizing about his lips and know exactly how panty-melting things could be with him.