Page 114 of Fighting Chance

My Layla.

The Layla I’ve dreamed about for nearly two years, the one I thought would never give me the time of day, and now look where I am. Sitting on a couch in a bookstore trying not to come.

“Kieran?”

“One sec.”

Taking a deep inhale, I open my eyes. She’s already smiling down at the very evident tent in my jeans.

“And you keep saying you’re like everyone else.”

Her head snaps up to me at that. “Am I not?”

“No.”

Leaning forward, I place a featherlight kiss against her forehead because…fuck, I don’t know why. “How was that?”

She bursts out laughing as she smooths her dress down. “How was that? Jesus, Kieran, that was—was—” She sighs before falling back, not realizing she’s all but snuggling into my side. “Amazing doesn’t cover it.”

“Live up to your fantasy?”

“Better than any fantasy I could have imagined,” she whispers.

“Good, because there’s more where that came from.”

The happy bubble I was in pops as she tilts her head up to look at me and whispers, “We should talk about ground rules.”

Ground rules.

Right, because this is an arrangement. Not justus.

Locking down my reaction at the reminder that this isn’t a real date, I smile at her and say, “I’m all ears.”

“Well, we probably should keep this between us.”

I frown. “You haven’t told Bella?” If she’s keeping this from her best friend, is that because she’s ashamed to admit she’s doing this with me? I can’t stop the words from pouring out of my mouth. “What am I? Your dirty secret?”

Layla scrambles to sit up, facing me fully as she places her soft dainty hand against my chest, right above my heart that may as well belong to her. “God no, Kieran,” she swears. Her hands move to cup my cheeks, maneuvering my head to face hers. “I promise that’s not it. I’m not ashamed ofyou. I’m embarrassed that I’malmost twenty-six and I had to ask a friend to help teach me things.”

“Oh.”

I should probably say something else but I can’t muster up the words. My heart is still beating frantically, pain striking through it that we’re going to hide this. But I guess that makes sense, considering she doesn’t want to actually date me.

Swallowing bile at the reminder of that, I shake my head, trying to clear my desolate thoughts.

“Can I tell Grayson at least? Not details of course, but I don’t like lying to him. He’s my family.”

She brushes her thumbs across my cheeks, back and forth, the motion so soothing I find my shoulders relaxing. “Of course, and so you know, I already told Bella. I’m sorry, I should have asked you beforehand.”

My heartbeat finally picks up at that. Maybe I’m not a dirty secret to her after all.

“It’s okay. She’s like a sister to me.”

Smiling at that, Layla pulls her hands from my face, making my fingers twitch at my sides, begging to move her touch back on my body. “I just don’t want to announce to the world that we’re friends with benefits,” she explains.

“That’s fair. Any other rules?”

Chewing on her lip, she plays with the fabric of her dress. “Should we put a time limit on this?”