Page 50 of Manny

“Mmm?”

“Are you flirtin’ with me?”

She swallows hard, her hand moves to my bicep and clutches it. “I know when I kissed you it got awkward, and I’m sorry for that?—”

“It wasn’t awkward.” I stop there. I don’t want to add anything more because I’ll be a goddamn liar. I bite the inside of my cheek to save from blurting anything out I can’t take back.

“But I can’t stop thinking about it,” she whispers.

I swallow hard. “Me either. I shouldn’t be admitting that. We both know this is a bad idea. We live together now. You’re Riot’s sister…”

“I know.” Her lips hover dangerously close.Too close.“But you’re just so… delicious.”

My heart feels like it might burst out of my chest at her admission. “You just sayin’ that ‘cause I come home smellin’ like chocolate croissants.”

She smiles. “Bandit told me you cooked with Eli. That was sweet of you.”

Bandit told her?

“Bandit?” I pretend I’m dumb. I think I’m piecing this together, and I’m weirdly not mad about it.

“I ran into him at the club.”

I press my lips together. “That reminds me. You said you’re pretty heavy with the guy you’re seein’. Anything happen with him?”

A flush stains her cheeks and my dick jerks. It has. Oh, brother. Do I really want to know if the girl I’m crushing on fucked another dude?

“Uh.”

I bump her with my hips. “It’s okay, you can tell me. I won’t say anything to anyone.” I make a cross motion over my heart.

“It feels weird, telling you this when I’m…”

I wait, trying not to groan at every touch of her hot little hands. I don’t know if she has any idea that her hands are roaming my body idly.

“When you’re?”

She steels herself, her eyes flicking up to mine again. “When I like you, too.”

“Lace.”

“Don’tLaceme. I’m just being honest. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you.” Her lips part. “Are you attracted to me?”

There’s no point in lying. “Yes, but that isn’t the reason I asked you to move in, and I need you to know that.”

Her smile is sincere. “I know that.” She narrows her eyes. “What’s your real name?”

I smirk. “You really want to know?”

She nods. “Yep.” She pops the ‘P’, making me laugh.

“Emmanuel.”

Her eyes soften. “That suits you. I like it.”

I snort. “Well, my junkie mom got one thing right, but nobody has called me that in years, except my grandma, but she died.” I think about my Maw-Maw every day and how much I miss her. How much I wish I could go back in time and spend every single day with her. She taught me so much and loved me with every inch of my being.

“I’m so sorry.”

---