Page 27 of The Companion Love Trap

I lifted my eyes slightly from under the brim of my hat, finding Kieran still staring at me. If I left my feelings out of the equation, I could almost notice how scared and nervous he looked—not angry. Shit. Had I overreacted? Did I misread something?

“Yes. Stay,” Kieran said, his accent hitting me.

I nodded, too vulnerable to speak anymore.

“Great. Now that we have that handled, shall we take our seats?”

I stepped back, missing his arm as soon as it dropped from me, and took my seat. Jace sat next to me and Kieran across from us. Jace filled the silence with easy topics, pulling me into a conversation. Kieran stared at me the whole time, never joining in, but I could feel his eyes on me, and I didn’t know how to handle it.

Did he hate me or want me? At this point, I wasn’t sure it mattered.

nine

EVERLY

My anger had dissipated by the time we sat down in first class. What I’d initially interpreted as snobbish and entitled behavior from Kieran didn’t fit anymore. Jace had said he was grumpy and didn’t like people, and while that seemed accurate, there was something else hidden below. Kieran seemed almost shy and a bit awkward, if anything, and used the resting Grinch face to ward off people.

After the first hour of silence, I decided to test the waters and see if he was a snob or if it was something more. If we wanted this trip to go well, then we both had to sell it. This was like employee training or something. Perhaps since there wasn’t a handbook, I should write one for the next helpless sap who found themselves fake dating a hot, grumpy businessman.

Companion Rule #1—know your strengths and how to use them.

I might not know the difference between further and farther, but my superpower was reading people, and I was great at making conversations. Time to shine, Everly!

I’d placed my hat into the overhead bin so I had an unobstructed view of Kieran’s profile as I leaned on the armrest to study him. He tensed for a second, but his gaze stayed fixed on his work like he didn’t see me. Nope, that just wouldn’t do fake boyfriend.

“I make you nervous,” I said, staring at his face. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best soft startup, but there was no turning back now. This time Kieran froze, his fingers halting on the tablet he’d been working on.

“Pardon, lass?” he asked, his eyes flicking over quickly before returning to the screen.

His right hand started a rhythm, and I was certain it was chords. His use of lass with his accent melted my heart a little. Not to mention they were the first words he’d spoken directly to me. Time to chase the dopamine and get more. I smiled at him, tracing my finger up and down the armrest dangerously close to his arm.

“I’m not sure if it’s people in general or me, actually, but you start tapping your fingers when I’m near and you’ve avoided looking me in the eye at all costs since we sat down.”

He swallowed, his fingers stopping on the tray. “Oh. Um. Habit.”

“You don’t have to stop. I was only pointing out how I knew you were nervous. So, what is it? People in general, or me specifically?”

Kieran gave me another look which I saw as nervous now and not snobbish. His brow was creased, and the lines around his eyes and mouth were tight.

“I’m not the greatest with people to start with, but you do make me more nervous than most, lass.”

Okay, honesty. I kinda dug that. There’s hope for you yet, grumpy snack!

“Hmm. Well, that just won’t do. We’re meant to be a couple, so we need to be comfortable around one another.” I paused, observing him as I thought. “I’m guessing I’ll be the first woman you’ve brought around the investors if Jace’s gone through this song and dance?”

Kieran nodded, his eyes shifting to me before he took a breath and turned slightly toward me. His body was tense and rigid, the corded muscles in his arms on full display. I licked my lips at the forearm porn, his soft blond hair, and tiny freckles. When had he rolled up his sleeves? Focus, Everly! Taking his move as a baby step, I reached out with my hand and let it hover over him.

“May I?” I asked, softly placing my hand on top of his.

Kieran jumped before letting out a deep breath; his light blond eyelashes fluttered closed for half a second before he wrapped his hand in mine. His skin was soft, his touch warm, and his fingertips were more calloused than I’d expected for someone who worked in a lab.

“Okay, we’ll need to practice this more. If you jump every time I touch you, they might think I’m holding you for ransom or something,” I teased.

He choked. “What do you have in mind?” he asked, clearing his throat.

“We should practice; maybe, I don’t know… experiment? Get ourselves comfortable with one another. It might help if we knew more personal things about each other.”

“Experiment.” I watched as he rolled the word over in his head like he was tasting it on his tongue. When he came to some conclusion, Kieran dropped his eyes to mine. The blue looked stormy, but there was no hostility. “Okay. I can see the value in that. So, holding hands?” he asked, his voice low and smooth.

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