Page 44 of Best Kept Secret

She removed her hand from his thigh and held it up, palm out. “I, Kelsey Olson, do solemnly swear…”

He pulled her hand down before she could finish the rest. Then he shut off the engine and unbuckled his seat belt. She hurriedly did the same, afraid he’d change his mind.

A minute later, she’d unlocked the door, and they stepped inside her apartment. She’d left a lamp on in the living room, which gave off a dim glow. If she’d been alone, she would have turned on some more lights, but since she had company, she liked the ambiance.

“Do you want something to drink?” she asked.

“Water would be good.”

“Have a seat, and I’ll bring it out.”

The living room was visible from the kitchen, and she watched him sit down as she poured two glasses of water with ice. Then she carried them to the living room and placed them on coasters on the coffee table.

“Thanks,” he said, immediately picking up a glass.

She watched him chug half the glass in one swallow and then place it back on the coaster. In the meantime, she sipped hers, and then she set down her glass too. “Is it okay if I scoot a little closer?”

He eyed her warily, but she noticed the corners of his lips twitched. “Okay.”

She slowly moved closer, like she would have with a scared animal or child so as not to spook him. He’d said he didn’t mind when she took the lead, but after their run-in with Jared, she didn’t want to move too fast. Plus, she’d promised him they wouldn’t get carried away.

“How long have you lived here?” he asked, glancing down at where their thighs now touched.

“Since college. I used to have a roommate, but she got married and moved out.”

“Did you ever think about getting another one?”

“Are you volunteering?”

He chuckled, his sparkling eyes adding another source of light to the room.

“I don’t mind living alone, although I don’t plan on being alone forever.”

“Hmm.”

She gently placed her hand on his leg. “Where did you live before you moved in with Jared?”

“Would you believe with my parents? In my defense, I was paying them rent, and I had an entire floor all to myself.”

She laughed. “You’re serious.”

He nodded. “My parents are really easygoing. Plus, they work and travel a lot, so I had a lot of privacy.”

“What made you move in with Jared, then?”

“He asked me to, and I thought it sounded like fun.”

“Two bachelors with nobody to answer to.”

“Something like that. But I don’t plan on staying there much longer. I’ve been saving money to buy a house.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Does Jared know?”

“Yeah, and he’s fine with it.”

“Especially now,” she muttered.

“It would make certain things easier.”