Page 47 of Ruin

“You seem happier this morning,” she commented with a smile.

I shrugged. “Good ride, good company, got nothin’ to complain about.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Really? There’s nothing else that’s made you happy?”

I ruffled her hair, which she scowled at. “I’m always in a good mood. Nothin’ new there.” Except for the fact I’d slept like a baby beside a guy I had a goddamn major crush on. If I hadn’t walked out of his room this morning, I would have taken things further. That was why I bolted quickly. He’d taken my damn breath away with the morning light shining in from the balcony window. Right before I hid him under some blankets. I still couldn’t believe I acted like that, but shit, I’d hated having another guy seeing Taro that way. Half-naked, hair rumpled, eyes hooded from sleep.

“And you’re spacing out with a weird little smile on your face,” she accused, moving to stop in front of me with her hands on her hips.

“What do you want, Mimi?” I asked, amused.

She slapped my stomach. “We’re friends. We tell each other things now. Like, say, I don’t know, the fact you slept in my brother’s room.”

“Okay, I slept in Wolf’s room.” She didn’t need the little details of how I called him by his first name. That was for me.

“You’re a pain in the butt. What happened?”

“You do know that even though I kissed a dude, I’m still a guy, and I don’t do this woman-gossip session, right?”

She beamed at me. “You two kissed?”

I groaned and gently shoved her out of the way, starting for the house again. With a laugh, she strode to catch up. “How was it? Your first kiss from a guy.”

“Mimi,” I whined. “Shut it.”

“No way. This is too juicy. Ruin, the man-whore member who only does women, has been kissed by a man.Mybrother.” She clapped. “This is awesome.”

Snorting, I stared down at her as she rambled on. She looked at ease. Happy even. She had been this way in Ballarat, but she was also different back home. Shy. Quiet. Here she wasn’t. Would she stay on after her dad died? Whatever she decided, I’d stick by her choice, but I knew one thing. Melbourne wasn’t for me. Ballarat was my pace of things.

So what did that mean for Taro and me?

Shaking my head, I pushed that thought away. I was going to live in the moment, and right then, my gut needed some food in it.

“I can’t believe you’re not telling me anything.”

“How did you know I was in there anyway?”

“You left your door open, dingbat.”

“I could have gotten up early and gone for a walk.”

She shook her head. “You would have told me if you were going far.” She bumped into me again, easily showing affection. “You’re a good friend like that.”

She did seem cool that I slept in her brother’s room, but wasn’t it weird for her also? I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.

“Mimi,” I said.

“Yes?”

“Ain’t it weird knowin’ I was in your brother’s room after we—”

“Let’s not speak of that. It was a one-night slip-up from me when I thought I’d lose the company I had and the safe place. I promise I’m okay with whatever happens. I wish you both luck because you’re both pains in the butt.”

I curled an arm around her shoulder and tugged her close, kissing her temple. “You’re a good chick, Mimi. Cowboy’s a lucky guy to have you.”

Her cheeks pinked. “He doesn’t have me.”

“But you want him to?”

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