Page 57 of Just a Number

“Mel, he’s within his rights. He thinks I took advantage of you.”

“Stop saying that. You didn't take advantage and we both know it. Fuck!”

“What happens now?” he asks, pressing the cold pack to his eye as I pace up and down.

“I don’t know. First, I was going to tell you it couldn’t happen again. Then my friend Cass suggested that, given that it’s all out in the open, we should just let it run its course. But now I don’t know again.”

“I think I’m going to like your friend. She sounds cool.” He winks with his uninjured eye and it makes me chuckle, despite the shitshow that we’re in. “And I definitely want to spend more time with you. I wanna take you out, get to know you. And I’m pretty sure sex would make me feel a helluva lot better right now.”

“I’m not having sex with you with a black eye.”

“Why not?” he asks, amusement making his eyes twinkle.

“I dunno. It just came out. I don’t think we should have sex now though. Can you imagine if Zack came home early and caught us at it? No, thank you.” A full body shiver rolls over me. “I think I need more time to decide what to do. I need to talk to Zack again, and I think you should stay out of the way until I can.”

“Fair enough,” he says, albeit begrudgingly. “But I think Cassidy’s right. We should see where this goes.”

“Did you hit him back?”

“What? No, of course not. I was the one in the wrong. I deserved it.”

“So we shouldn’t keep seeing each other, then?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he growls.

“Look, we’re not getting anywhere here. I need some space. Are you going to be okay? Can you work with that?” I gesture to his blackened eye.

He grimaces. “I’ll need to check with Abby and Tom. I might be able to help in the kitchen if they don’t want me at the bar. I’ll be fine at the pottery workshop. In fact, I need to head there shortly.”

“Okay, don’t let me hold you up then. Just give me a chance to figure this all out and I’ll be in touch, okay?”

“Sure.” He rises from his seat, emptying the ice into the sink and draping the tea towel over the towel rail before he walks towards me. “How ‘bout a little kiss to make it better?”

I scowl but have to admit it’s appealing. I go to peck him on the cheek, but he turns at the last minute and our lips touch. His hand comes out and grips the back of my head, and he kisses me passionately.

Chapter twenty-two

Alex

Ican’t resist kissing Mel. She looks so worried about everything that I want to take her mind off it. I grasp the back of her neck and kiss her until her body relaxes a little.That’s better.I pull away, planting a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, and she gives me a small smile.

“That was cheeky,” she tells me.

“You fucking love it.”

A big sigh. “Yeah, dammit, I do. What are you doing to me, Alex?”

“Not what I want to be doing to you right now, but maybe later?” I raise my eyebrows in question and she slaps a hand against my chest with a tut.

“You need to go. I promise I’ll figure it all out and let you know when I do.”

“Okay, but don’t overthink it. He knows now. I think your friend is right… don’t let it stop you from having a good time, Mel. And ideally, I want you to be having those good times withme.” And I don’t just mean sexually. I’m not sure if she’s ready to hear it, but I want to make a go of it. I want us to be a couple.

She plants a kiss on my cheek, her original target last time, and then walks me over to the back door, opening it.

“Take care with that eye. Let me know if you need more ice later.”

“Will do. Thanks, Mel.”

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