Page 21

Couch Picnic

Declan

I was almost asleep when my phone buzzed.

I grabbed it off the nightstand and for some reason was not at all surprised to see it was a text from Abi.

You do know that the kiss was just a spontaneous part of our game, right?

I texted: I THOUGHT WE ALREADY WENT OVER THIS

I was surprised she was bringing it up because I thought we’d settled it in the car.

Abi: I know but I started thinking about the way you’re paying me a lot of money for this and I just want to make sure you know that I wasn’t trying to make something happen in hopes of increasing your debt to me.

She’d been a constant surprise since I met her yesterday, and this was no exception.

I sent: IS THIS KEEPING YOU AWAKE? IS YOUR GUILTY CONSCIENCE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SLEEP IN MY VERY COMFORTABLE BED?

She replied: Haha nothing could keep me from sleep in this bed. It is ridiculously comfortable. Jealous?

I sent: HELL YES

Abi: Well thanks for being cool tonight

I replied: AS OPPOSED TO HOW UNCOOL I’VE BEEN SO FAR?

Abi: Yes

I turned on the lamp and texted: WELL THANKS FOR NOT BEING A PAIN IN THE ASS TONIGHT

Abi: As opposed to how big of an ass pain I’ve been so far?

I replied: YES

Abi: It was hard but for 40K…

Bullshit , I thought, wanting to give her credit for being driven by more than just money.

I texted: I’M FAIRLY CERTAIN NO AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD TAME YOUR brAT FACTOR SO I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT

She texted: You’re welcome.

Suddenly I was wide-awake again. Surely it had nothing to do with my roommate’s texts and how seeing her name on my phone made me think of her mouth.

Good God, it’d been some kind of a kiss.

Her teasing words had been like a match, sparking something wild that I’d been helpless to stop. One minute I’d been fine, and the next it was like my senses were drowning in the smell of her perfume, the plumpness of her lower lip, the squinting of those amber eyes as she looked up at me.

And fucking whispered, don’t disappoint me.

I’d absolutely lost my cool.

But I also blamed her for kissing like that.

The second my lips were on hers, she had been all in, kissing me back like she was starving and my mouth was the only thing she needed. Like she’d been waiting her entire life for that moment.

I swear to God I’d never experienced a kiss like that.

It was dangerous.

Especially when every cell in my body vibrated at the thought of more.

Fucking knock it off.

I texted: DO YOU MIND IF I GO TO THE KITCHEN FOR A SANDWICH?

And a tumbler of Scotch for me to use as a night-night potion because I can’t stop thinking about your kiss?

She texted: Of course not—it’s your house

I was still surprised she’d been so nice about my having to stay here with her.

I texted: IT’S YOURS UNTIL THE END OF THE WEEK, MARIANO

She replied: Okay, then, I will allow your presence in my glorious kitchen.

Was it weird that the sarcasm I’d hated when I met her was starting to appeal to me?

Yes. Yes, it was.

I’m gonna need that Scotch STAT.

I sent: OH, THANK YOU, YOUR GRACE.

Abi: I’m in love with that. Please refer to me as such for the remainder of our time, thank you.

Such a little shit.

I texted: I WON’T BE DOING THAT, AND YOU’VE ONLY GOT A FEW MORE HOURS BEFORE YOU’RE FREE OF ME.

My flight was to leave after the brunch tomorrow, and I was headed back to New York.

She texted: You won’t be here tomorrow night?

Disappointed? For some asinine reason, I wanted her to be disappointed.

Probably because I wanted to know that kiss had messed with her, too. That would somehow make me feel better about the way my brain wouldn’t let it go.

I sent: I FLY OUT AFTER brUNCH AT THE HANGAR. YOU’RE ALMOST HOME FREE.

She replied: It’s really gone by fast.

Yes, it definitely had.

I went into the kitchen and straight for the refrigerator. Drinking always made me hungry, though it’d been a while since I’d had a buzz like this, and I might as well have a fucking picnic because I knew I wasn’t sleeping.

So I made a massive sandwich, flipped on the TV, and started watching an episode of Psych while I wolfed down way too much food. I sat like that through an episode and a half before my phone rang.

Of course it was Roman.

“What’s up?” I said as I answered it on speaker with the volume way down, keeping my voice low as well, because it was after 1 a.m. and I didn’t want to wake Abi.

“What’s up ?” he said, sounding irritated. “You still haven’t responded to my email.”

“Shit,” I said, shocked I’d forgotten. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

“ You? ” he said, sounding more shocked than I was. “ You got distracted. That is definitely a new one.”

“Cut me some slack,” I said. “It’s been a busy couple days.”

“Was it all the kissing?” he said, sounding not exactly irritated, but not pleased, either. “Is that what made the most un-distractible person I’ve ever met distracted?”

“No,” I said. “It was the annual shareholder meeting, so spare me the melodrama.”

“Dex.” Roman sighed and I knew he was dragging his hands through his hair. He was the most laid-back guy I’d ever met, except when it came to our work. “This is in real time, remember?”

“I know,” I said, opening the email. “You know I know. Just give me a minute to peruse and I’ll be caught up.”

As I finished the sentence, the bedroom door opened and Abi wandered into the room. Her hair was everywhere and her eyes only half-open as she shuffled past the living room and toward the kitchen. I would’ve expected the bright TV to catch her attention, but she didn’t even look in my direction.

I felt like I should say something so she knew I was there—I didn’t want to scare her—but it was possible she was just getting water and going back to bed, and in that case, I didn’t want to wake her and make it more difficult for her to go back to sleep.

“Just send the fucking approval so I can sleep,” Roman said.

Which brought Abi’s attention over to the living room. She looked surprised when her eyes landed on me, then took in the rest of the room.

“Will do,” I said.

“But be warned—my inbox is crazy full, so the minute I wake up in the morning, I’m going to start going all high-speed on their asses. Expect to be bombarded.”

“Got it,” I said, giving Abi a chin nod from my spot on the couch.

Roman sighed on the other end of the phone. “If we’re going to remain a two-man operation on this, and you know that’s the only way it works, we need to be on twenty-four-seven, Dex.”

Abi’s eyes narrowed and she was definitely focused on our conversation.

“I am aware,” I said, hitting the approve button at the bottom of the email. “Good night, Roman.”

“Later.”

I disconnected the call and said to Abi, “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No,” she said, looking so fucking cute with her oversize pajamas and messy hair that I had an urge to throw her over my shoulder and carry her back to her bed like she was a toddler who’d been woken by a bad dream. “I needed water.”

“Ah.”

She saw my plate on the coffee table and her eyebrows knit together, like she was surprised I was eating in the living room.

“It was a good sandwich—don’t judge,” I said.

She shook her head and said around a tiny smile, “I’m just shocked that you’re doing something so…common. I would’ve imagined you summoning a chef to serve you a sandwich in the middle of the night before I would’ve pictured crumbs all over your T-shirt.”

I looked down and, yep—crumbs all over the top of my black Celtics T-shirt.

“Maybe I’m not the douchebag you think I am,” I said, dusting off my chest.

“Let’s not go crazy,” she teased. “But I will say I’m impressed by your viewing choice. I love Psych .”

“Great show,” I agreed.

“Were you actually still working a minute ago?” she asked. “In the middle of the night?”

Her tone told me she was either shocked or horrified. I said, “The middle of the night doesn’t technically start until after two.”

“Is that true?” she asked, and yawned.

“I think so. Go to bed, Abi.”

Her eyebrows went down. “You’re not the boss of me.”

The urge to pick her up kicked in a little stronger. “I know. May I rephrase?”

“Please do,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your water break with my phone call. Good night, Abi.”

She rolled her eyes and muttered, “Still feels bossy, but g’night.”