15. Chapter Fifteen #2
Right now, I can’t think of one single reason to keep my distance. Apart from the fact that she told me that she wasn’t interested in dating me, but this wouldn’t be us dating. She didn’t say she wasn’t interested in anything else, though.
“Maeve.”
I really shouldn’t go there.
“This is quite a cosy stable.”
I look more closely at her flushed cheeks and the splotches of colour on her neck. Her eyes flicker to my face and back again, not meeting my probing gaze.
Wait, is she…
“Why are you blushing?”
I don’t recognise the rumble of my own voice. I don’t even know why the question tumbled from my mouth like that, but the words hover in the air, waiting for her answer. The only sound in the darkened stable is the quiet, steady rain falling outside and our breathing.
“I’m not.”
I take a step closer but halt when she retreats. I cock my head and frown. “Then why won’t you look me in my eye?”
She juts her chin out, eyes narrowed on mine. “I’m not blushing. I’m cold.”
Her words have hardly left her mouth before I close the distance between us and step into her personal space. “Then why keep your distance from me?”
“I…” Her eyes roam my face, and I swear my heart stops when her tongue lashes out to wet her top lip. “I’m not used to people getting so close to me unless they want to harm me.”
I take another step closer and raise my hand as if to touch her cheek, but I won’t touch her unless she asks me to.
Instead, I keep my hand poised, close to her cheek, and watch her face in fascination as her breath catches.
My own breathing deepens, evening out despite the long pull of lust that flows through my blood to settle in my cock.
“You can trust me, Maeve.”
She searches my eyes, and I hope she can see the sincerity shining back at her.
“I know that,” she whispers. “I’m just on edge today.”
“Why?”
She moves, only a fraction, closer to my raised hand, and I take a chance and finally rest it lightly on her cheek. Her skin is both soft and cold, smooth and hard at the same time.
The blush on her cheeks deepens. “It’s embarrassing.”
“Come on, you can tell me anything. We’re BFFs, remember?”
She snorts, making me grin at her in satisfaction. “Fine.” She leans back against the wall and seems to settle in. “I had a dream about you last night…”
My hand jerks on her skin.
“What kind of dream?”
“The good kind of dream.” She grins. “But it’s still so vivid in my head that when I look at you, I can still remember what it felt like, and I get a little fuzzy in the head.”
I waggle my eyebrows at her. “Sounds like a fucking good dream.”
“It was.” She sighs, then raises her hand and pushes a finger against my chest. “But don’t even think for a second that I’m going to tell you what happened.”
“Come on,” I groan. “Not even a little bit?”
“Nope.”
“Now, that’s just plain cruel.”
“Not considering we’re friends and have agreed to keep it that way.”
“We did do that, didn’t we?”
I curse silently, wishing I could throw my rules to the wind.
“We did, and I’m going to keep up my end of our bargain.”
I nod and trace the edge of her jawline with my thumb, distracted by a group of freckles on the corner of her mouth. The thrumming in my cock intensifies, and I close my eyes slowly.
“It would be a really bad idea to break our deal,” I murmur, opening my eyes.
“It would.”
I suck in a breath and let my hand slip away from her face, missing the feel of her skin the moment I do, but it can’t be helped.
If I keep touching her, I’ll forget all my best intentions and kiss her.
Instead, I cock my head again, listening.
“I think the storm’s over.”
“That’s good.” She blinks and shakes her head. “I’ll head on home, then.”
I nod and take a step to the side so that she can slip by, holding my breath when she moves past me.
“Why don’t you have a car?”
She lifts her eyes at me in passing. “I like walking. It clears my head.”
I turn on my heel, not ready for her to leave just yet. “Hmm. It might be safer for you if you find better transportation before winter gets here.”
“I’ll think about it.” She wipes underneath her eyes and frowns. “How bad do I look?”
You look fucking gorgeous.
I don’t say it because I can’t let her know how much I want her right now.
“I think you’ve got the worst of it. Will I see you at Holly’s on Tuesday?”
She turns her head and shrugs. “Maybe.”
Again, she makes it clear that she won’t commit to anything, but I frown at her.
“Not going to turn into a recluse while you’re in Cloonmara, are you? Because that won’t do at all.”
“I’m not. Please tell me it’s not karaoke night, though. I’ll avoid those at all costs.”
I bark out a laugh. “We don’t have them. You’re safe here.”
“Good. See you later, Farm Boy.”
My breath stills. “Farm Boy?”
She laughs as she turns her back on me. “Since you won’t stop calling me Detective, it seems only fitting that I give you a nickname in return.”
I turn to face her and widen my stance as if I’m ready to go to battle, and even though it’s clearly not the case, I need to set things straight with her.
I reach out my arm and curl it around her shoulder.
She stiffens for a moment but doesn’t resist me when I pull her closer to my side, her ample breasts flush to my chest. Her eyes widen, and I can’t resist dropping my eyes to her full lips.
I clear my dry throat.
“You need to get more creative, and you’d do well to remember I’m no boy.”
She opens her mouth but then shuts it again. I raise my chin and slip my arm off her shoulder. I flip my glasses down as I pass her to open the stable door and fix her with a stare for as long as I can without tripping over my own feet.
“Get home safe, Detective.”