Page 17 of In Step

He nodded. “I do. I move around too much for my own, so I have to settle for enjoying other people’s.”

“Well, you’ve got plenty of choice around here. Bossy and Prue are litter mates, along with Rudolf, Judah and Morgan’s cat, and Hannah’s Poppy, and Cora and Martha’s Betty. Sorry, you didn’t really need to know all of that.”

“No, it’s great. As I said, I love cats.” His face lit up in a huge smile that hit like a bolt of sunshine in my chest, and good God, if I’d thought the man was gorgeous before, a smiling Abe was something to behold. “And just so you know, Bossy and I aren’t really strangers. Did you know he and Prue stare at each other through my bedroom window in the morning?”

“Really?” I turned to Bossy who was making the most of a tiny patch of sun on the lounge rug while washing his feet. “He’s such an attention whore. We get them together for play dates to keep up their connection, but I’d love to set up a camera and see what he gets up to when I’m not here.”

Abe snorted. “Maybe it’s better not to know.”

I nodded. “You could be right. I was going to fetch Prue up for a play this afternoon. They haven’t been with each other for a while.”

“Really?” Abe’s eyes sparked. “I’d love to see them together. I can get her now if you like. She’s asleep in my bed.”

Shit. “You don’t have to do that.” Abe in my house was the absolute last thing my crush needed. “I’ll grab her later. You must have better things to do.”

He shrugged. “Not really. Judah and I finished at lunchtime, and Leroy and Fox are playing rugby. I’m heading down to the boathouse for dinner, but until then, I’m free.”

“Oh.” The moment stretched awkwardly as I scrambled for any reason to turn him down that wouldn’t seem rude. Nope, nothing.

He broke eye contact as a flush crept up his neck. “I’m sorry, that was incredibly pushy. You have better things to do than entertain me. The actual reason I came was to apologise for last night. I’m sorry about the flirting thing. I’m not usually like th—” He snorted. “Well, actually, I’m totally like that if I’m attracted to someone. I just don’t usually embarrass myself with straight men. I clearly read things wrong, and I apologise if it made you uncomfortable.”

He’s... attracted to me.I thrilled at his words, then mentally slapped myself.Bad idea. Bad, bad idea.Shut him down. You’re good at that. Shut him down. Move him on.

But Abe wasn’t some nameless guy in a club who’d taken a punt on me. Abe was Judah’s friend and someone who’d given up his time to help a bunch of kids he didn’t know. I could still bluff this in a roundabout way.

“There’s nothing to apologise for,” I said, pulling up a smile. “I’m used to a whole lot of flirting and piss-taking around here. In case you hadn’t noticed, the gay is strong in this place.”

The bright sound of his laugh chased the depressing remnants of my visit to the farm far from my head, and before I knew it, I was speaking. “Well then, how about you fetch Prue and I’ll put the coffee on.” I almost turned to see who the fuck had just said that shit except, oh, right, that would be me. “If you’d rather a beer, you’ll need to bring one back with you. I don’t drink.”

He shot me a pleased grin. “Coffee will be just fine.”

CHAPTERSEVEN

Kane

What the hellwas I doing?

I switched the coffee machine on—the one Leroy and Fox had foisted on me under some bullshit excuse about needing to replace theirs—and plated some of Martha’s chocolate chip cookies.

Then I took a deep, calming breath, because yeah, I’d just invited bloody Abe Tyler into my bedsit, alone, with me... alone. And had I mentioned alone? A drop-dead gorgeous man who’d just said he was attracted to me and who I really needed to keep thinking I was straight. I wasn’t sure there was a cock cage invented that would do a good enough job of hiding the semi that was guaranteed to make an embarrassing appearance in my groin at some point.

I groaned and banged my forehead on the cupboard above the coffee maker. You complete chook. The last thing I needed was Abe of the soft smile, breath-taking eyes, and delicious body—with that ridged outline of his cock lying just behind the soft cotton of his sweats—in my space and messing with my head.

Two days. He’d been here for only two days, and I was a basket case already. Every heady centimetre of the man nibbled at my brain, and I should’ve just accepted his apology and let him go. Why, why hadn’t I just let him go?

Because you’ve lost your freaking mind, that’s why. Because he broke the rust from your on-switch and now you don’t know how to shut the fucker off. Because you’re starving. And because he’s only here for a short time.

I breathed out a sigh. Could I risk a friendship with someone like him for just six weeks? Risk that attention, knowing his attraction, even at a distance? He wouldn’t need to know about me. Just a little time, a little piece of someoneto lock away and keep the fires going until I broke out of Painted Bay. If I could just keep those lines clear.

“So maybe you could fucking behave yourself for once.” I glared down at my dick tucked safely in my jeans. “You’re straight, get it? S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T.” Footsteps on the stairs shut me up and I went back to grinding beans.

“Here she is.” Abe set Prue down close to where Bossy was still washing himself on the lounge rug. The two cats sniffed each other before walking off in opposite directions like they didn’t give a shit.

Abe frowned. “What’d I do wrong?”

“Nothing.” I crossed the room to join him, the scent of his freshly showered body doing funny things to my stomach, and with a hint of cologne I was almost positive hadn’t been there before. “Keep watching.”

He did, and sure enough, after a wary lap of the couch, Bossy ambushed Prue with a stealth attack from the coffee table and it was all on.

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