Page 76 of Sliding into Love
Royce: So come kiss me.
Kenneth: We're at work. We’ve already broken the rules once today.
Royce: Your point? If we broke them, there’s no reason not to do it again.
Another pause.
Kenneth: On my way.
I set my phone down, unable to suppress my grin. A moment later, Kenny appears in the doorway, looking both determined and slightly flustered.
"You're a terrible influence," he says, closing the door behind him.
I stand, moving around my desk to meet him halfway. "Am I? Because you didn't have to come down here."
"Yes, I did. You know I can't resist you." He cups my face in his hands, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone.
"Good." I pull him down for a kiss, slow and deep, tasting the coffee he had earlier and a flavor unique to Kenneth. When we pull apart, we're both breathing harder.
Kenneth's hands slide down to my waist, holding me close. “You’ll never guess what Gillies said right before I came here.”
“Could be anything. Why don’t you just tell me since I likely won’t guess right.”
"He told me he saw North, and it was 'love at first sight' or some shit. His words, not mine. Well, not exactly his words—he said he felt like he got hit by a truck, which I think is his version of the same thing."
"Interesting." I rest my forehead against his. "North seemed equally affected."
"I agree with you. A connection between them would be good. I think they might need each other."
"Who knows? They both have a lot going on. But…" I pull back to look at him properly. "I didn't think anything would come of us either yet look where we are now."
Kenneth's expression softens. "Yeah. Look where we are."
He kisses me again, softer this time, and I let myself sink into it. Into him. Into this thing between us that's becoming more real and more important every day.
A sharp knock on the door makes us spring apart like teenagers caught making out.
"It's not locked!" I call out, straightening my clothes even though they don't need it.
The door opens to reveal Bellamy, who takes one look at us and raises an eyebrow. "Am I interrupting?"
"No," Kenny and I say simultaneously, which only makes us look more guilty.
Bellamy's expression shifts from amused to knowing. "Uh-huh. Sure." He steps fully into the office, closing the door behind him. "So are we doing this? Are we acknowledging what's clearly happening here, or are we going to keep pretending you two aren't involved?"
My stomach drops. I knew we'd have to have this conversation eventually. Bellamy's too observant not to notice, but I'm not sure I'm ready for it.
Kenny, to his credit, doesn't panic. He just looks at me, waiting for my lead.
"We're…" I start, then stop. What are we exactly? How do I explain this to my brother when I'm still figuring it out myself?
"We're together," Kenneth says firmly, his hand finding mine. "If that's a problem?—"
Bellamy interrupts. "You're both adults, Kenneth's technically stepping down anyway, so there's no conflict of interest. And honestly, I haven't seen Royce this happy in years, so if you're the reason for that, I'm all for it. I can let the past go. For now."
I blink at my brother, caught off guard by his easy acceptance. "Really?"
"Really." He moves closer, his expression softening. "Royce, you've spent so long putting everyone else first, making sure the family's taken care of, proving yourself over and over. If Kenneth makes you happy, then I'm happy for you. Both of you."
