Asking For It - Allyson Lindt Page 0,36
about this way. A girl could get used to the indirect praise.
“He’s cute.” Sadie was talking to me again. “Does he know if he hurts you, there’s no place in the world he can hide from us?”
“He does now, and he would deserve it,” Kingston said.
Grayson walked behind Sadie, then paused. “Who’s the hottie?” He asked.
Sadie gleaned back. “Lyn’s new manservant.”
Sadie, Anne, and I teased each other and their boyfriends all the time, but that was inner circle stuff. Did I want them drawing Kingston into the same?
“Ready to serve at Her Majesty’s whim.” He fell into it so easily.
What if he fit in with us? What if Owen did? They’d have to, for me to stay with them. Was I thinking about long term with them? No. I was living this day today. “Anyway,” I said. “He made nice, we’re good now, and he asked first if I was free. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll figure something out?”
“Yes. Definitely yes.” Sadie was emphatic. “You have so much to fill me in on.”
And with any luck, I’d figure out at least some of it before we spoke again.
“That went well. It seemed to go well.” Kingston tangled his fingers with mine as we headed inside. “You tell me. Did that go well?”
“She didn’t threaten to send the cops, so...”
“Good thing I never plan on hurting you.”
Except for that whole looming matter of him and Owen wanting to buy my shop. And Owen being in love with him... Did Kingston feel the same? Would he if he knew? Did he know?
Gah. Too many questions, and I just wanted to hang out and have fun.
We were seated, and ordered coffee. As soon as the waitress left, Kingston leaned in. “I can’t believe Sadie and Grayson know you.”
“Grayson did half the wiring in Loading Java.” I wasn’t surprised he knew who they were. Sadie had a huge online following with her costume design, and Grayson was a popular game streamer. Even if Kingston only followed one of them, they frequently appeared on each other’s channels.
Kingston tapped his index finger on the table rapidly. Odd twitch. He huffed out a breath. “I heard... The two of them... Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“She’s married to him and his boyfriend.”
It had been a gorgeous ceremony. Held in my back yard. “It’s true.”
Kingston shook his head.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. Or rather, I’m processing. In a good way.”
I wasn’t going to read into that.
Ha, I totally was. I could make so many assumptions regarding why Kingston cared if Sadie was married to two people. The obvious one for most people would focus on my relationship with him and Owen. But my brain revolted at the thought. Not because I didn’t like it, but because it was so implausible.
Wasn’t it?
I stashed the familiar insecurities about me being undesirable, and dove into the now instead. Breakfast—the conversation and attention that went with it—was fun. So was the unofficial demo with Kingston’s friend from DM. I even got my name on the demo copy list, to give me promo for my shop.
By the end of the day, I wasn’t thinking about anything but how much I enjoyed spending time with Kingston.
He walked me to the back door at my place.
“Do you want to come in?” I had things to do before tomorrow, but I didn’t want to give him up just yet.
He brushed his lips over mine in the most agonizingly sweet kiss. “Desperately.”
I unlocked the door.
“But I won’t,” Kingston said.
My heart ground to a halt, slamming into my ribs with a painful crunch. I couldn’t hide my frown.
“If I come in, I’m going to want to kiss you. And undress you. And kiss you some more, until you’re writing in pleasure and your legs are too weak to stand.”
Me too. “Is that bad?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want sex to define whatever happens next.”
“That’s sweet.” Disappointing, but also reasonable.
“I was hoping for noble but I’ll take sweet. I’ll still leave you with something, though.” He wrapped one arm around my waist, gripped the back of my neck, and crushed his mouth to mine.
My body molded to his hard frame. Everywhere we made contact, despite there being layers of clothing between us, my skin scorched with need. His erection dug into my stomach. Desire throbbed between my thighs. This felt so... real.
Kingston broke away with a groan. He dragged a thumb over my lips. “I’m going to be gone for a few days, fetching some things from my old place.