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Not giving anyone a chance to drive me out of my mind as they pulled Ollie in for a hug, I strode out the door and into the cool spring night, my grip tightening on Ollie.

“What—“

I pressed Ollie against the side of the car and cupped the back of his neck.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

“Um, well, yeah, I don’t know.”

My brows drew down in confusion, because as his words wavered on whether he wanted me to kiss him, his arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer, where I could feel his sweet breath wash over my sensitive lips.

“What do you mean?” My question came out gruffer than I wanted.

“Do you remember when I said I wouldn’t get any ideas about our last shared kiss and where it wouldn’t lead? Well, I’m a big liar. Huge. I have several extraordinary ideas and if truth be told, your kiss went straight to my head, and now that I have them, you know, the ideas, I’m sure kissing you would be a mistake on your end. You shouldn’t encourage me.”

As I worked to interpret the jumble of words out of his mouth, which both encouraged and discouraged any more kissing, my entire brain blanked out at the soft press of his lips on mine.

6

OLLIE

My body vibrated, anticipating the video call connecting, wondering what Connor and I would talk about tonight. The intensity of our conversations increased since we shared the kiss outside Kaid’s house the night I met his friends. Despite all the evidence to the contrary that our friendship has developed into something more, evidenced from our late night talks and texting throughout the day while Connor’s been away filming, I refused to get my hopes up Connor might want more with me.

The night of our second kiss, our lips brushed, and it caused a physical need so great in me; it pulsed for hours after. But instead of leaving me with fleeting touches, he devoured me until Kaid’s porch light switched off and then he drove both of us home.

A kiss consumed my thoughts during my waking hours before seeping into my dreams. I told myself in a mantra which was getting old, that the kisses didn’t mean as much to Connor as it did me. I kept our interactions close to my heart and no matter when it ended between us, and it would, I’d never forget my time with him.

It was both torment having Connor so far out of reach where the temptation to jump his bones was out of reach, and a benefit of being able to wrangle my expectations of something more because of his absence. With the time I hadn’t spent with the man on my mind, I finished the first draft of the book with characters based on Thomas and Sam, which took me in directions I wasn’t expecting, but I loved the finished draft.

With my rolling thoughts distracting me, Connor’s smiling face appeared on my laptop screen, and my heart jumped in my chest. Yes, it was dangerous. Romantic feelings for a man who could attract any man or woman he wanted should have warned my heart to stop yearning for him, but it didn’t stop me from wanting him none-the-less.

“Hey, Ol, how was your day?”

I shook off the dangerous thoughts and smiled. These unfiltered moments were the ones I yearned for, because he talked to me as though I mattered to him.

“Good, I started outlining a new book and…”

Connor moved the camera, which landed on his gorgeous chest, and I choked on my tongue. As I kept telling myself, the man was myfriendwho showed me nothing but kindness when he opened up his home to me, introducing me to my favorite people in the entire world. Those who supported me as very few had been on my side before. I spent the next few seconds stumbling over my words before I swallowed hard.

“Ollie, please, I’m begging you, that look will be my undoing.”

Connor’s sultry voice was like a slap to the face, and my cheeks heated with a flare of embarrassment.

Fuck, I made him uncomfortable!

I pushed words past my throat, tamping down my embarrassment at being called out.

“Sorry. Anyway, I was researching artists and financial careers, which turned out to be boring, but since my bookfeatures the complete opposite’s attract scenario, it was a necessity.”

I continued to ramble so much that over the next few minutes; the conversation traveled from work to my observations about Sam and Thomas growing closer, despite Thomas being with Connor in Vancouver.

He groaned when my babbling spluttered out. “You have no clue, do you?”

I’m sure I looked confused as I stared at Connor through the screen. In the time I’d laid out what I’d done that day, he propped himself on the bed; the camera focused on the stark cut of his hips to his smooth chest, a wicked smile etched on his face.

“What?” I choked on my tongue in my mouth, before I cleared my throat and tried again. “What do you mean?”

Heat banked in his eyes as they roamed over my face, but before he could answer my question, there was a soft knock on his hotel room door and his brows drew down before he glanced at the door.