Page 5 of Quiet Longing

He paused when he saw me, and I self-consciously ran a hand through my hair. “Hi, again. I was just—”

“Can you still not sleep?” he asked, frowning.

“Oh, no, I did sleep—for like an hour. It’s probably going to take a while for me to get used to the new time zone.”

He nodded, his eyes tracing my features. I wondered what he saw, a hazel-eyed girl with no makeup and crazy bedhead. “If you need us to be quieter, I can talk to the lads.”

“There’s no need for that. Honestly, it’s the time zone. I could be in a noiseless void, and I’d still find something to toss and turn over.” I gave a small, nervous chuckle. Rhys didn’t say anything. He probably thought I was some American weirdo. I cleared my throat. “Well, I was just going to find some water. I woke up thirsty. See you around.”

I was about to leave, when he reached out and touched my arm. The feel of his hand on my bare skin gave my heart a littlezip. “Wait here a second.”

I nodded, wondering what he was doing, when he went back inside the rec room before reemerging with a bottle of water. “Here, take this. There’s a mini-fridge in there.”

His fingers briefly skimmed mine as he handed me the water, their warmth a contrast to the icy cold bottle. Again, I felt that small zip of awareness.

“A mini-fridge. Fancy. How the other half lives, eh,” I said then grimaced because he probably came from a rich family, too, if he went to school with Tristan and Derek.

The barest hint of a smile touched his lips. “Mini-fridges are pretty extravagant, I guess.”

“Right?” I laughed.

“So, your family isn’t, uh …” he trailed off, so I finished for him.

“Loaded like the Balfes? Not at all. My mom is Padraig’s sister, but she’s a school teacher. We’re not rich by any stretch of the imagination. All this is pretty crazy to me,” I said, motioning around the vast hallway with its glossy marble floors.

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, it is, isn’t it? But you get used to it.”

“You don’t live in one of the other giant houses on this street, then?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, far from it.”

“Well, it’s good to know there’s a fellow commoner about. We should stick together.”

At this, his cheeks seemed to colour. Again, he rubbed his neck. Was that a nervous tick? “Sure, yeah,” he paused then, looking me over. He started to frown, taking what appeared to be an instinctive step forward, his hand reaching out, before he stopped himself and rocked back on his feet. He shoved his hands in his pockets, a faint look of concern crossing his features. “What happened to your forehead?”

I frowned, unsure what he meant at first, then remembered the bruise. I touched it softly. “Ah, right. A little mishap on the plane. The person in front of me let their seat back when I was leaning forward, and I banged my head.”

Rhys winced. “Is it sore?”

“Only a little.”

He pressed his lips together, still staring at me, though he did seem strangely relieved the bruise wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Finally, he tore his gaze away. “I better get back.”

“Of course, thanks for the water,” I said, watching him leave before returning to my room.

2.

Rhys

She was gorgeous.

When Tristan and Derek told me their American cousin was coming to stay for the summer, I certainly hadn’t been expectingher. Or her accent, all low and sultry. I had a hard time keeping my blood from flowing a certain direction.

“What are you doing skulking in and out?” Aidan asked when I returned to the pool room.

“Uh, the girl, Charli. She was out there looking for water, so I got her some from the mini-fridge.”

Aidan shared a look with Derek and grinned. “Uh oh. I think Rhys has the hots for your cousin.”

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