Page 50 of Beneath Your Beautiful

“And a tire iron. It’s Brooklyn.”

“Danger lurks around every corner,” I teased.

“Trouble finds us even when we’re not looking for it.”

I sighed. “That was all kinds of crazy.”

Killian blew air out of his cheeks. “What were the fucking chances?”

Yeah, Killian didn’t know Joss very well. He didn’t even know Adam was her brother. Meanwhile, he knew all about my brothers and he’d even spoken to my dad on the phone. Weird.

I let go of his hand and stood. “Wait here. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Whatever you say, Sunshine.”

“Why do you call me Sunshine?”

He tilted his head and closed one eye. “You want another confession? Two in one night?”

“I’m greedy like that.”

“Hmm. Okay. You look like sunshine. And, to me, you smell like sunshine.” He gripped his lower lip between his teeth. I hadn’t expected that kind of honesty. Or any of the truths he’d revealed tonight.

“It’s Orange Blossom by Jo Malone. That’s the name of my perfume.”

“I know. I saw it on your dresser.”

Of course, he did. Ugh. We’ve had two crazy, drama-filled nights.

I walked into my bedroom, opened my bedside table drawer, and pulled out the sketch. Killian watched me as I walked toward him. I sat next to him and handed him the sketch. Pulling my legs to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them. He studied the sketch for a long time before he set it on the cushion next to him. “You have so much talent.”

I shrugged. Accepting compliments about my art was difficult. Maybe it was because I’d always wanted to be good, but I never felt like I was good enough. Art is subjective. You could reach a level of technical proficiency but still fail to stir someone’s emotions or entice them to linger over your work.

“Do you still want to go to art school?” Killian asked.

“I don’t really want to go back for another degree. But I might take some classes. Or I might just keep experimenting on walls. It was my own fault that I didn’t apply to art school. I can’t blame anyone else. That was my decision.” As I said it, I knew it was true. But now I was making my own decisions, boldly taking a leap into the unknown. It wasn’t always perfect, not by a long shot, but moving to Brooklyn had been the right decision. I wasn’t going to let one stupid drunken night overshadow the good things in my life—my job, my new friends, my art, and yes…Killian. Always Killian.

“Do you want to go on a date with me, Eden?” Killian asked.

A date. With Killian. It was so unexpected, yet it was the perfect ending to our imperfect, chaotic, messy, wonderful night. My lips curved into a smile. “I’d love to go on a date with you.”

Chapter Nineteen

Killian

“Ifeel like the proud papa, sending my boy on his first date,” Louis said as I changed out of my T-shirt and into a black button-down shirt in the office.

“Call me if you need me,” I said, doing up the buttons. I was all thumbs.

“I won’t be calling you. You’re not allowed to come back to check on things. No calls either. What time’s your reservation?”

“Nine.”

“What you need to do is ask her questions about herself. Be that charming Killian I know you can be and—”

“Here’s an idea. How about you get back to work and leave me in peace?”

“How about you stop acting like a jackass and listen to some good advice?”