Page 56 of Once Kissed

“For Hello Kitty?”

My blush answers for me.

“Just asking,” he says, doing a horrible job of squelching his grin.

I glance down, but despite my embarrassment, my clothes, and my absolute shock to find him here, I can’t hide my smile. I’ve missed himandhis stupid jokes. “Would you like to come in?”

“Yes,” he tells me, his voice gruff.

My eyes widen. Slowly, I walk back to my apartment with Curran close beside me. He follows me inside and turns the deadbolt, stopping in my living room.

I stroll into my kitchen and wash my hands. It’s when I’m drying them that I realize he’s staring at the hideous dress my father bought me. I draped it over the couch when the dry cleaning service dropped it off earlier. I didn’t think to hide it. But maybe I should have.

He lifts his chin. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

I almost lie because it’s just that ugly. “Yes.”

“Oh,” he says like it pains him.

“You don’t like it,” I say, not that I’m surprised.

“No, it’s a nice dress. We buried my Grammie—God rest her soul—in something just like it.”

Of course he did. Of course…

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I…” I rub the back of my neck, feeling uneasy. The stress of my classes this past week and the late hours working with Declan have taken their toll. But it was the constant calls from my father that pushed me to my breaking point. He’s phoned twice a day, sometimes more, to “help” me become better acquainted with Spencer. He told me his likes, dislikes, favorite political influences, even the way he prefers his coffee in the morning—no, that wasn’t a hint or anything.

My father doesn’t know my favorite color, nor does he care. But he made certain I knew Spencer’s.Blue.No wonder he’d selected that hideous dress.

“Tess?”

I drop my hand away, detesting the awful way my voice shakes when I speak. “I hate the dress, Curran. I don’t want to go to this function. And I think Spencer Woodworth—my date for the evening, and Philly’s probable next mayor—is a complete and utter asshole.”

I’m certain Curran will laugh, or poke fun at me or Spencer. But all signs of humor are lost from his face.

“So why are you going? And why the hell are you wearing that dress?”

I place my hands on my hips and look down. “I have to go. It’s not something I can get out of.”

“Why?”

“I promised.” I didn’t really. It’s more of a forced expectation. But the truth will trigger more questions that I’m not prepared to answer, and I’ve already said enough.

“That doesn’t explain why you’re wearing something that belongs on one of your elderly neighbors,” he bites out. “I meandamn,you have a body that won’t quit and you hide it beneath layers of goddamn tweed and polyester.”

“You like my body?” I’m not trying to redirect him, but it’s the one thing he said that I fixate on. “Even after the weight I’ve gained?”

Curran crosses the room to stand in front of me. “You didn’t gain weight. You gained curves. Men,realmen, like curves, not fucking angles.”

I place my fingertips over my smiling lips. “Swearing aside, that’s probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Good,” he says. “Come here.”

There’s no hesitation. I go to him easily, greeting lips as eager for me as mine are for his. Curran lifts me, carrying me to the couch and placing me on his lap.

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” he gasps, before quickly returning to attack my mouth.

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