up on me, too. I guess we’re both sneaky people.”
“I’m glad you’re around, Kale.”
He grinned bashfully. “You just want me for my body. I see the way you’re eyeing me like I’m a piece of meat.”
I hadn’t been, but when he said that, my gaze immediately traveled to his bare chest. If he was a piece of meat, it was one of the finest pieces I’d seen. All bronzed and smooth, hard and soft. Just begging to be kissed, to have my tongue run over it. I shook my head. “God, I hate technology,” I said, repeating his earlier words.
“Phonus interuptus.” His smiled faded after a second and he sighed. “Speaking of technology.” Releasing my hand, he twisted around, digging through the couch cushions. He pulled out the bag from earlier. “I got this for you.”
I looked in the bag and frowned down at the cell phone—one of those cheap pre-paid ones. “Booty call phone?” I said, hoping he’d laugh.
He didn’t.
“No. I want you to leave your phone with me for a few days and use this instead. It doesn’t have any bells or whistles, but it should suffice for a while.”
“Why?”
“Because you need a phone.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why do you want mine?”
“You have some creep calling you, which may or may not turn out to be nothing, but until we know for sure, I’m thinking you’re better off safe than sorry. I’m hoping if he knows I’m answering your phone, he’ll get the hint and quit calling. If you’re not answering, then there’s no reason for him to keep trying.” He paused. “Look, if you’re worried about me having it, that’s fine, I get it. If nothing else, you should have someone else field your calls for a while or change your number. You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
“I’m not worried about you having it.” And I wasn’t. I probably should have been, but that wasn’t why I hesitated. “It’s just that all my numbers are on that phone and everyone has that number. My mom, work, school.”
“I’ll transfer the numbers over manually if I have to, though I think we might be able to have it done. I can’t do much with the people who call, though. Maybe get a hold of the frequent callers and give them a heads up? Maybe they could spread the word.”
Laura could do that. She and my mom were really my biggest worries. Even if the school called and Kale had the phone, I’d still be able to check my messages, wouldn’t I? And honestly, I didn’t want to deal with the calls. If his idea worked and whoever was calling stopped when they didn’t get a hold of me, then it’d be worth the inconvenience. “Okay. Keep it.”
“Well, that part went over better than I thought it would. I was sure you’d argue more.”
“My only argument is on your behalf. I don’t like getting the calls, and while I don’t mind sharing that headache with someone else, it doesn’t seem right giving it to you.”
“I’m asking for it.” He shrugged. “The calls worry you, and honestly, that’s enough of a reason to take them on. Whoever this is, whatever they want, they’re not going to get it. Maybe they just want to scare you, or maybe they want more. I don’t know. So if it eases your mind, then dealing with them is a price I’m willing to pay.”
“I’m turning into an expensive and high maintenance date.”
“Look, I’m not going to lie and say I was expecting this when I asked you out, but I’m not backing down because things got complicated right off the bat. Even if you’d had a sign over your head warning people away, I still would have tried getting to know you. I still would have wanted to. If I have to work through this to get more time with you, then I will.”
“You’re very…affable.”
He rubbed his hands down my arms and wrapped them around my wrists. “No one should be alone to deal with shit unless they want to be. And so we’re clear, you won’t be, even if you do want it. If this…thing…between us ends tomorrow, you
“I’m glad you’re around, Kale.”
He grinned bashfully. “You just want me for my body. I see the way you’re eyeing me like I’m a piece of meat.”
I hadn’t been, but when he said that, my gaze immediately traveled to his bare chest. If he was a piece of meat, it was one of the finest pieces I’d seen. All bronzed and smooth, hard and soft. Just begging to be kissed, to have my tongue run over it. I shook my head. “God, I hate technology,” I said, repeating his earlier words.
“Phonus interuptus.” His smiled faded after a second and he sighed. “Speaking of technology.” Releasing my hand, he twisted around, digging through the couch cushions. He pulled out the bag from earlier. “I got this for you.”
I looked in the bag and frowned down at the cell phone—one of those cheap pre-paid ones. “Booty call phone?” I said, hoping he’d laugh.
He didn’t.
“No. I want you to leave your phone with me for a few days and use this instead. It doesn’t have any bells or whistles, but it should suffice for a while.”
“Why?”
“Because you need a phone.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why do you want mine?”
“You have some creep calling you, which may or may not turn out to be nothing, but until we know for sure, I’m thinking you’re better off safe than sorry. I’m hoping if he knows I’m answering your phone, he’ll get the hint and quit calling. If you’re not answering, then there’s no reason for him to keep trying.” He paused. “Look, if you’re worried about me having it, that’s fine, I get it. If nothing else, you should have someone else field your calls for a while or change your number. You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
“I’m not worried about you having it.” And I wasn’t. I probably should have been, but that wasn’t why I hesitated. “It’s just that all my numbers are on that phone and everyone has that number. My mom, work, school.”
“I’ll transfer the numbers over manually if I have to, though I think we might be able to have it done. I can’t do much with the people who call, though. Maybe get a hold of the frequent callers and give them a heads up? Maybe they could spread the word.”
Laura could do that. She and my mom were really my biggest worries. Even if the school called and Kale had the phone, I’d still be able to check my messages, wouldn’t I? And honestly, I didn’t want to deal with the calls. If his idea worked and whoever was calling stopped when they didn’t get a hold of me, then it’d be worth the inconvenience. “Okay. Keep it.”
“Well, that part went over better than I thought it would. I was sure you’d argue more.”
“My only argument is on your behalf. I don’t like getting the calls, and while I don’t mind sharing that headache with someone else, it doesn’t seem right giving it to you.”
“I’m asking for it.” He shrugged. “The calls worry you, and honestly, that’s enough of a reason to take them on. Whoever this is, whatever they want, they’re not going to get it. Maybe they just want to scare you, or maybe they want more. I don’t know. So if it eases your mind, then dealing with them is a price I’m willing to pay.”
“I’m turning into an expensive and high maintenance date.”
“Look, I’m not going to lie and say I was expecting this when I asked you out, but I’m not backing down because things got complicated right off the bat. Even if you’d had a sign over your head warning people away, I still would have tried getting to know you. I still would have wanted to. If I have to work through this to get more time with you, then I will.”
“You’re very…affable.”
He rubbed his hands down my arms and wrapped them around my wrists. “No one should be alone to deal with shit unless they want to be. And so we’re clear, you won’t be, even if you do want it. If this…thing…between us ends tomorrow, you
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