I stiffen at the sound of his voice, refusing to turn around. “Sure I have,” I say primly, hefting the electric drill in my hands going back to my task of trying to put this stupid bunkbed together.
Rowan laughs. “See I thought your whole thing was that you hadn’t done a lot of screwing.”
My face goes hot as I freeze, my hands tightening on the drill.
“Well, you know, or any as the case may be.”
I purse my lips as I turn.
“Can I help you with something?”
“I was about to ask you that.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
I turn back, gritting my teeth and revving the drill.
“Stop, stop.”
I sigh heavily and stop the drill as his hands wave in front of my face. I turn again. “What?”
“You’re stripping the screws.”
“I am not.”
He grins. “You are. You’re using the wrong bit, see? Here.” He reaches past me, his arm brushing mine as he grabs the drill case and opens it up.
“Use this one.”
He takes the drill from my hand, unclipping the front part and putting the new attachment on. “Try it.”
I take the drill from his hands and glare at him. “Are you going to watch?”
“Gotta make sure you’re screwing the right way, don’t I?”
I roll my eyes, willing the heat from my face.
“Oh, hey, I brought a peace offering.”
“A peace offering?”
“It’s even religious, you’ll love it.” He holds up a brown paper bag and shakes it. “Here.”
I put the drill down and take it from him. “Thanks?” My brow furrows as I open it up. “Donuts?” I glance up at him. “How are donuts religious?”
“Because they’re hole-y.”
I groan as he laughs. “That’s awful.”
“That is comedy.”
“So what’s the peace offering for?”
“For the other night. I’m sorry about that.”
“Which part.”
I snap my lips shut but the words are already out there, and I glance up to see him grinning with a brow raised.
“Forget I said that.”
He shrugs. “Well for what it’s worth, I meant I was sorry for giving you a hard time and making you uncomfortable.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
“I’m not actually all that sorry about the other part.”
I blink quickly. “What other part.”
“The part where I kissed you.”
I shiver at the memory, heat blooming up inside.
“Well, you should be,” I say with snap.
“Maybe, but I’m not and you know what?” He leans in, getting close.
I swallow quickly.
“I don’t think you’re all that sorry either.”
His lips brush my ear as he moves away, and I can barely breathe with my heart this high in my chest.
“So, when’s the next lesson?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“No?”
“Nope, no way. No more lessons.”
“Really.”
“Yeah, no, that was…” I shake my head. “That was a bad idea.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
His eyes trace over mine, and I’m lost in them for a second before I somehow find myself and drag what’s left of my ability to think out of that gaze.
“I have to get back to- to…”
I’m losing my words. I blink again, looking away and taking a deep breath.
“I need to get back to-”
“Screwing?”
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth as he grins.
“Well, you know where to find me.”
“I don’t want to find you.”
“Just saying, if you do.”
“That won’t be happening.”
His eyes glint at me as he smiles. “If you say so.”
“I do!”
“Whatever you say.”
He turns and starts to walk away.
“Stop doing that!”
“What?”
“Trying to get the last word. We’re done here.”
“You got it.”
I glare at him, and he just chuckles and starts to walk away.
“I won’t be looking for you!” I call after him.
“If you say so!” he calls back over his shoulder before he rounds the corner and disappears.
“I do,” I say lamely to no one.
My heart’s still pounding as I sit there, glaring at the donuts and the drill.
“Gotta make sure you’re screwing the right way.”
My skin tingles at the memory of that second kiss. That illicit, forbidden kiss in the freaking hallway of his parents’ house while both our families sat in the next room. Or the way his fingers teased my knee under the table.
Or the way I haven’t stopped thinking about either of those things since then.