Page 41 of Flare

“I imagine you do.” I held his gaze.Go on. Say yes.

He gave a slow blink and sighed. “Fine.Onedrink.”

“That’s the spirit.” I shoved his coat into his hands and retrieved my wallet from my office.

“Oh, nice.” Kip raised a brow at the two of us. “Never mind the poor sales assistant dying of thirst, overwork, and rampant under-appreciation.”

“We’ll drink a toast to you.” I gave Beck a push toward the front door, feeling lighter than I had all day. “Oh, and check your phone. Hunter sent you some photos.”

CHAPTEREIGHT

Rhys

“Two Gannet Ales?”the cheerful blonde server checked, and I nodded. She smiled and put the beers on our table that was pushed against the window with its broad view of the harbour. She flashed me a surreptitious wink as she left, and Beck chuckled.

Good Lord.If she was twenty, I’d eat my favourite Rick Owen’s zebra shirt. I gave Beck a kick under the table. “It’s not funny. She probably still has diaper rash.”

His hazel eyes lit up. “It kind of is, actually. Especially since you look gay as fuck in that outfit.”

I frowned and looked down at my admittedly gay-as-fuck outfit like I had no idea what he was talking about. “What, this old thing?”

He said nothing, amusement dancing over his face, his arm close enough for me to count every curl of dark hair poking out from under his rolled-up cuffs. Gotta love a man with hair I could get lost in.

I pouted. “Okay, I’ll give you the gay-as-fuck bit. Was it the harem pants that gave it away?”

“Nah.” His cheeks above his beard pinked just a little. “I think it was the plunging neckline, black fuck-me choker, and the outline of some barely-there ridiculous scrap of jockstrap the whole world can see hidden underneath.”

Well, well, well.I smiled. “Somebody’s been paying attention. And not everyone can see it. You’d have to be looking.” I let that one sit. “And I hope you’re not suggesting I wore that with deliberate intent?” And yes, we were very definitely flirting again.Stop. It.

He said nothing, just sipped on his beer.

“If I’d known what a serious study you were, I would’ve put on more of a show.”

He swallowed hard. “I imagine you’re used to the attention, looking like you do.”

I bristled. Not this again. “I wear what I do because I like it, Beck. Because it makes me feel alive and because I enjoy it. I don’t do it for the attention, although I know it comes with the job. But for me personally, I’m far more interested in exactly whose attention I have.” I paused. “And why.”

He flushed. “I wasn’t referring to your clothes. I simply meant that you’re very... attractive.”

Oh.I winced. “Sorry. Way to feel like an arsehole.”The perfect segue. “Which reminds me, I need to apologiseagainfor being such a prick and not getting back to you after last Friday. It was rude and a dick thing to do. I shouldn’t have kissed you, Beck. And then I didn’t know what to do about it.”

His gaze dropped to the table. “I figured as much.”

“No.” I tipped his chin up with my fingers. “You don’t. It’s not that I don’t like you that way. Things are...” I sighed. “Complicated... with me. I don’t do random shit like that.”

“What? Kiss men?” An almost-smile hovered on his lips.

“No. I don’t kissnicemen. Men I might actually like.”

He frowned. “So, you kiss men youdon’tlike?”

“Noooo.” I watched him carefully. “Ifuckmen I have no intention of liking in thatnice-man way. Ikissvery few men at all, as it happens, and not for a while.” My voice trailed off.

After what seemed an eternity, he said, “So you’re saying you likeme?”

I waggled a hand between us and he laughed.

“Right. And so, according to your code, you shouldn’t have kissed me.”

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