Page 26 of Not That Ridiculous

He was already on the move, heading for the front door, but at that he said over his shoulder, “Yes, you were.”

“Nope. I wasn’t. You’re not missing out on anything.”

He opened the front door and turned to face me. “You definitely were,” he said with confidence. “I was going to keep asking until you gave in.”

I shook my head at him with a smile.

He grinned back at me. “I had fun with you today. I’m really glad we’re gym bros now.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” I hedged. “I’m not sure the gym is my kind of scene. I might never go again.”

He just laughed. And then he did something that I’d remember for the rest of my life.

Kevin Wallis put a gentle hand on the side of my neck, ran his thumb along my jaw and tilted my face up as he leaned in and dropped a quick kiss on my lips.

I caught my breath.

So did he.

His dark eyes slowly tracked up to mine, then back down to my mouth, where they held. “Huh,” he said.

I jerked, about to step back and...what?

Slam the door in his face?

Run screaming for the back garden and hide in the toolshed?

Swoon?

I didn’t get a chance to do any of those things.

He pressed his solid body fully against mine, wrapped an arm around my waist to pull my hips tight to his, and he did it again.

Hekissedme.

It was another light touch of his mouth, but this one didn’t have the absentminded, casual air that the first kiss had. This was even worse.

It was slow, considered and deliberate.

My heart slammed with a hard, unsettling throb as I stared at him.

“See you later, Charlie,” he said, and left with a bounce in his step.

6

Anyone else would probably have unravelled completely if they were kissed on the doorstep by the straight man they were secretly—and, they assumed, safely—in love with.

I, however, was a champion at repressing my emotions.

A random little peck on the lips from Kevin meant nothing, and I was completely unbothered all weekend long.

Was it weird?

Yes, it was.

Was itwildlyunexpected?

Hell, yes. At no point when I woke up on Saturday morning did I expect to have Kevin hold me in place while he kissed me, twice, before swaggering off looking pleased with himself.

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