Thoughtful(50)

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual.

She didn’t answer me, just kept drinking her wine. I could tell from the empty bottle on the counter that she was almost at the end of her supply. There was only one thing that would make her this distraught…

“You okay?” I asked, already knowing she wasn’t.

She paused in her drink to answer me. “No.” I thought she’d leave it at that, but she surprised me by adding, “Denny isn’t coming back…we’re done.”

A multitude of emotions washed over me at the same time: compassion, grief…joy…and guilt. I walked over to her, eager to wrap my arms around her and tell her I was here for her, that I’d never leave her, but it was obvious she was trying to suppress her pain. Hearing how much I cared about her probably wouldn’t help her right now; I needed to let her grieve first. Instead of touching her, I leaned back against the counter. I even rested my hands behind me so I wouldn’t be tempted.

Not knowing what to do for her, I watched her studying me for a minute. Then, hoping she’d say no, because I really didn’t want to discuss her feelings about Denny, I asked, “You want to talk about it?”

She again paused from her drink only long enough to answer me. “No.”

Relief hit me again that she didn’t want to talk about him. She probably didn’t want to talk about me either, but that was okay. I understood not wanting to talk. And I knew what I would want if I were her. I glanced at her empty wine bottle, then the glass she was finishing. “You want some tequila?” I asked.

A genuine smile spread across her lips. “Absolutely.”

I opened the cupboard above the fridge and, rummaging through my alcohol stash, I grabbed the tequila. I wasn’t sure if getting Kiera drunker was a good idea, but it was the only solution I could think of right now. And besides, at least she wasn’t drinking alone anymore. I grabbed glasses, then salt and limes from the fridge. Setting out a cutting board, I sliced up the limes. I could feel Kiera’s eyes on me the entire time.

I poured us shots, then handed hers to her with a smile. “Cure for heartache, I’m told.”

She took the glass from me and our fingers briefly touched. It was enough to send heat through my body. She was single now…that changed things. Or did it? Denny was my best friend. I owed him…

Determined to stop thinking, to just go with whatever happened, I dipped my finger into my drink and wet the backs of our hands. Kiera watched every move I made as I shook some salt over our hands. When she made no move to drink her shot, I broke the ice and took mine so she’d feel more comfortable about doing this with me. My throat was numb from doing Jäger shots all night, so it didn’t even burn. It burned for Kiera though.

Her tongue came out to lick the salt off her hand, her mouth opened to receive her drink, and her lips curled around the lime, squeezing its juices. It was an erotic thing to watch. Then her face twisted into a grimace. I chuckled at her reaction, then poured us another round.

The second shot went down easier for her. The third was even easier. We didn’t talk, just drank. And the more alcohol she consumed, the hungrier her eyes became. She was staring at me as tenaciously as the women in the bar did. I did my best to ignore it, but it was difficult to do…I wanted her to look at me like that. I wanted to look at her like that. But I wasn’t about to make any assumptions on what was going to happen tonight. We were just two friends sharing a drink. Two single friends who had almost shared a lot more recently…

By the fourth shot, the alcohol was getting to me. I spilled the tequila trying to pour it in those tiny little glasses. I laughed as I almost dropped the lime from my mouth. I was way beyond buzzing now.

On the fifth shot, everything changed. Just as I was bending down to lick the salt from my skin, Kiera took my hand and ran her tongue over the back of it. She was soft, wet, warm, and felt amazing on my sensitive body. I wanted her to keep doing it, but she pulled back to drink her tequila shot. When she placed her wedge of lime between my lips, my heart sped up. Was she…?

She was. Her mouth reached up to connect with mine. Our lips pressed together as she sucked on the lime. All I could taste was lime and her. It was an intoxicating combination. But it wasn’t nearly satisfying enough. I needed more.

My breath felt strained when Kiera pulled away. Ragged. She teasingly removed the lime from her mouth and set it on the counter. When she seductively licked her fingers, my resolve evaporated. I suddenly didn’t give a shit what we’d been before, or who we’d been with. I didn’t care if she’d dated Denny—that seemed like a long-past memory at the moment. I didn’t care about Evan’s warnings, my regrettable experience with bedding roommates, my promise to Denny to stay away, or my own decision to not cross that uncrossable line. Kiera kissed me. She wanted me. And fuck, I wanted her too.