Page 69 of Beneath the Quiet

She squares her shoulders. “I did, yes. Roísin kept texting me last night, asking if there’s anything going on between us.”

“Nothing’s going on. I thought we agreed on that.”

She nods. “I know, and I said as much, but then she also said that the way we acted in the pub made people start talking. That’s not what we want, is it?”

She takes a step closer, and I retreat before I can stop myself.

She arches an eyebrow but doesn’t comment.

“Answer me, Aidan.”

“No, we don’t want that,” I rasp thickly.

“Then why do you keep acting as if you do?”

My gaze drops to her mouth. “I don’t mean to act like that, but…”

“But what?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, but I can’t seem to stop. I like you. Do you like me?”

Her lips twitch, and there’s laughter dancing in her eyes, hypnotising me. But there’s something else, too. Something darker, though I can’t put my finger on it. But I can’t look away, either.

“Yes. I like you.” She nibbles on her lower lip, drawing my attention back to the need in my cock.

I clear my throat, trying to beat back the harsh scrape of it, but it’s bloody hard when all she has to do is breathe and I want to fall to my knees and worship her.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable the other night.”

She takes another step towards me. “You didn’t. Not really. But I think you’re blurring the lines, however unintentional. That’s partly the reason I wanted to come by.”

I tilt my head at her and mirror her movements. As we draw closer to each other like two magnets undeniably drawn together against our will, I force my hands to relax at my sides.

“Tell me.”

She mirrors my movements until we’re so close that our chests almost touch. The air hums with anticipation and want, and it’s a want that’s becoming difficult to ignore.

“I see something in your eyes when you look at me,” she murmurs.

I’m scared to ask, but I can’t hold the words back. “What do you see?”

She takes a deep breath, eyes searching my face for something. “You want me.”

Fuck.

“Who’s the direct one now?”

She shrugs. “I don’t want any misunderstandings between us. I think you want me. The question is, are you going to do anything about it?”

I huff out a laugh at her bluntness.

“Do you want me to?”

“I might.”

It’s my turn to release a juddering sigh. “I have a question for you.”

She raises her chin. “What question?”