Page 38 of Too Hostile

I shrug. “I’m okay with it,” I say honestly.

He presses another kiss to my mouth before he takes my hand, and we go back out to the main room. Josh has cleaned his plate, and he looks amused when we walk out with our hair messy, our clothes rumpled, and our lips still glistening with each other’s saliva, but he doesn’t really call us on it.

“Well, thanks for dinner. I should get out of your hair,” he says just as we both sit down to eat.

“You don’t have to rush off,” Ronan says, but I don’t hear any hint of him actually meaning that, and I don’t think Josh does either.

“Yeah, I better get going.” He stands up, and I do too so I can walk him to the door.

“Sorry about this,” I say as I open the door, even though I’m not really sure what I’m sorry for. He did show up unannounced, and I fed him. But he was hoping for some no-strings-attached sex, and he didn’t get that so yeah. Sorry works.

“You seem happy, man,” he says with a bright grin.

It takes everything in me not to glance back at Ronan. “I’m always happy.”

Josh chuckles and shakes his head. “Sure, man. Well, see you around, I suppose.”

I nod, and he leaves with a quick wave in Ronan’s direction. I close and lock the door before heading back over to finish dinner with my man.

No.

Not my man.

But my summer man doesn’t sound good.

“So that happened,” I say awkwardly, and Ronan laughs.

“Is this what it’s always like at your place?”

I want to say no, but I don’t lie to him. “Yup. I’m sure my mom or one of my siblings will be busting through the door any damn minute.”

Ronan laughs at that, but then tosses his napkin onto the counter and stands up, taking my hand. “Then we should probably get to the good stuff now.”

I smile just as his lips meet mine for a kiss. “Sounds like a plan.”

As we make our way to my room again, I can’t stop thinking about the future. How it would be if we lasted after summer. Having meals at my place, my mom or Josh or someone else busting in but it not really mattering because we have more than just a few months.

Is it really so damn bad to want that?

Ronan starts to undress me slowly, his lips back on mine in an instant, but then he’s pulling back and looking into my eyes before his gaze drifts over my body, then back up to my face. The way he watches me... it’s like he has so many things he wants to say to me.

So many things he won’t let himself say. He’s put up a wall. He knows everything about me, but he still doesn’t allow himself to tell me much about him. All I know is how important his job is to him.

A stinging sensation in my gut feels an awful lot like guilt because what I’d be asking for if we went past these few months could jeopardize that. Could take away his career that he clings to so fiercely. That he loves.

Summer.

I can’t let myself think there will ever be anything else.

This is all we have.

RONAN

I’m totally out of my element here. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I’ve had hookups in the past. Short flings. No big deal. They served a purpose until they ran their course.

But for whatever reason, meeting Fletcher’s friend Josh last night has left me spinning. I’ve never felt jealousy in my life, but there’s no denying that’s exactly what I felt when stupid Josh opened his stupid mouth and talked about fucking my Fletcher.

My Fletcher.

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