Page 51 of Small Town Firsts
“That was just an appetizer. And while I don’t mind your fruity wine, I want a red.”
She huffed out a breath. “You’re…a lot.”
“Yeah, but I’m worth it.” I took the remote from her. “What do you have on this thing?”
“I don’t watch much television.”
“But you have a sweet projector? Doubtful.”
She tugged my hair. “Fine. You got me. I like to watchCriminal Mindson the widest screen possible.”
The doorbell saved me from asking more on that one.
I sat up, but she pushed me back. “Okay, naked boy. I’ll get it.”
“I’m sure they’ve seen worse.”
She tipped up my chin. “Or maybe I don’t want them to see all of that. Think of that, smartass?”
I sat back with a grin. Nope, but I sure liked that she did.
THIRTEEN
KIRA
BLAME IT ON THE WINE
I wasn’tsure what to make of the linebacker-sized Viking in my living room. Worse, I kinda liked him being there. All too often it was just me and a bowl of popcorn taking up space on the criminally comfortable couch that I spent way too much money on.
What good was it to lie about my streaming television situation? It was the cheapest way to be entertained when my body was completely depleted by the end of the day—both when I worked the orchard and bars. Add in my new job, and I was lucky I managed even an episode of my favorite show these days.
I didn’t have the energy to go out and socialize with people I worked with, and making friends when you were an adult was hard. Add in the small town crap I’d dealt with the last few years, and popcorn and Spencer Reid seemed like the lesser of two evils.
I padded down the hallway to the side door. Mrs. Schultz had the news blaring, and as usual their kid sounded like he was being tortured. Which of course made me think of that offhand comment Ronan made about kids.
Dear God, I wasn’t made for that.
Or your kid wouldn’t be ignored like that.
I stifled the very annoying inner voice and shoved it in the back of my mind where it belonged and dealt with the delivery person. I patted my pockets looking for the spare five I usually kept on me, but the bored teen just dumped the bag on the stairs and handed me the pizza box.
“Okay then.”
“Let me get it,” Ronan said from behind me.
“You have no pants on.”
“No shirt either.” He shrugged. “No worse than a bathing suit, Sunshine.”
The fact that he filled the entire hallway—and bonus points for looking damn good in those boxers—I had no comment. He tucked the four bottles of wine under his ridiculous arm and left the pizza box for me.
Mrs. Schultz peeked her head out into the hallway and her eyes went huge. “Everything all right, Kira?”
“It’s fine.”
“I’ll say,” she said with a wistful sigh and shut the door.
I glanced down the hall and had to agree. He looked almost as good going as coming. I quickly followed him down the hall and back into my apartment.
