Page 29 of The Companion Love Trap

His thumb stroked my hand as he thought, and I wondered if he even knew he was doing it.

“I wouldn’t mind if that was your job. But for curiosity, if you could do anything, what would you choose to do?”

“That’s the issue. I don’t know. Despite having a college degree, it’s basically useless, and I don’t want to do the job I’d been groomed for my whole life. I volunteer a lot because I love working with kids and helping people, and it makes me feel good to give back. Jobs, on the other hand… I start a lot, loving them in the beginning. But either because I lack the skills or lose interest, I can’t seem to keep them long. I’ve been a beverage girl at a golf course, a vet assistant, and an extra in movies in the past year, along with many more. They always end in disaster.”

Kieran smiled, the action causing my breath to get stuck in my throat. Sweet molasses. The man could take out a whole city block with the megawatt of his smile.

“How did they end, lass?” he asked, a slight teasing in his voice.

I blew out a breath, sitting back in my seat. The direct hit of his smile was too much. I was likely to give into my urge to crawl in his lap and ask him to pet me if I didn’t get out of the direct path.

“Well, let’s see, the beverage cart…” I grimaced, flicking my eyes over to his this time, and found his blue eyes staring straight at me. “I thought it would be fun to race the golf carts. And I was right; it was fun but highly frowned upon.”

Kieran chuckled, leaning closer to hear me. His cologne invaded my space more, and goosebumps spread over me. Hello, seduction-in-a-bottle. Combined with his laugh, I was putty in his hands. Speaking of hands, ours were still interlocked, the feeling so natural now.

“And the vet didn’t work because I tried to take home the animals that people surrendered. My roommate made me quit after the second cat, third bird, and fourth puppy.” I shrugged, not even ashamed of that one.

Those pets needed a home, so why not share mine? Ultimately, I helped them find other places, but I still missed them. They’d been better roommates than Gloria, the roommate before Grace. Maybe I should stay away from G names.

“And then the movie extra? I imagine you were quite good at that one.”

I nodded, grinning. “Yeah. That one was fun. I got to play a zombie and even a groupie at a rock concert. I guess that one wasn’t entirely my fault. An actor in the last movie I did broke something and blamed it on an extra. Amanda was a sweet woman who had a baby at home. She worked several jobs and wanted to work her way into the movie business. So I said it was my fault instead. I only did the job because it sounded fun, but I had no interest in being in movies.”

“You have a kind heart, Everly.”

My cheeks heated, the action so uncommon for me. There wasn’t much that made me blush. But a sweet guy telling me something equally sweet… apparently, that was my weakness. Plus, no one had ever said that about me before. I’d been a lot of things but never labeled as kind. I liked it and wanted to wrap his words up in a ribbon so I could carry them around with me forever.

“Maybe. But I still haven’t found that job that makes me excited to get up in the morning and can keep my attention. Did you always want to invent things?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

“No.” Kieran’s smile fell, and he cleared his throat. “It wasn’t my first choice, just something I happen to be good at. My first love…” He shook his head, dismissing the words. “When I discovered I could use what I knew to make things to help others, it felt like a good fit, and it’s made me very wealthy.”

“Sometimes there are more important things than money,” I whispered, not wanting to meet his eyes. I couldn’t stand to know how he felt about that. Money had always caused more problems in my life than it cured.

The pilot’s voice came overhead just then, interrupting the still moment between us and abruptly ending our conversation.

“We’ll be arriving at our destination shortly. Please ensure your trays are upright, and if you don’t have your lap belt on, go ahead and secure it for us. The temperature here is a sunny 83°F. Welcome to Miami.”

Kieran released my hand, making me sadder than I wanted to acknowledge. We both stowed away our belongings, and I peered out the window as we descended. A quiet comfortableness settled between us, at least making it better than it was at the start. Despite the win of making him more relaxed, I felt drained, like I’d run a marathon in heels. My heart was becoming too invested, and I needed to take the night to remind myself why relationships weren’t for me.

Companion Rule #2—under no circumstance do you get attached. Fake is fake.

Yeah, good luck telling that to my head, heart, and pussy. Traitors!

Once we landed, the three of us quietly made our way to the luggage carousel. Jace had been glued to his phone the moment we’d landed; his typical jovial smile turned down into a frown as we navigated the terminals. My heart raced as I watched him, something in me shifting.

“Everything okay?” I asked, worried about him despite my finger waving to not care in my head.

“Yeah. Just a problem with one of the locations I’m shooting at. I’ll have to figure it out once we reach the hotel.” He glanced up and gave me a small smile.

I nodded in understanding but felt lost all the same. I wanted to help, but it didn’t seem like he wanted mine.

How cliche, Everly! Don’t pine for the one who only wants casual sex.

Our bags came around the carousel first, Jace and Kieran grabbing them off and leaving me with just the small one. Within minutes, we headed out the door toward the line of cars, neither of them stopping nor looking lost like I felt. I kept peering all around me and getting distracted as I took everything in. I’d never been to Miami before, and there was so much to see. The airport was bustling, with lights flashing on signs and people rushing to and fro to their loved ones.

The heat hit me as we stepped outside, and I took off my hat and fanned myself. Ugh, humidity. The guys motioned for me to catch up, their bags already loaded into a trunk. Quickly, I handed mine off to the man waiting and slid into the sleek black car. Kieran slid in after, putting me between them. Their bodies pressed into mine, and my mind roamed, remembering Jace’s words about how they worked well together. I cleared my throat, catching Jace’s smirk as he shifted his leg closer. My legs felt damp, but I couldn’t tell if it was the humidity or something else.

The ride felt like it took forever; the Miami traffic congested as we made our way to the hotel. I was ready to jump out of my skin by the time we arrived between my thoughts and their physical closeness. The guys looked at me oddly as I bolted for the door, taking a few steps to distance them and me.

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