Page 19 of S.O.S. Billboard

She went back to his break-up.

“So you haven’t told your team about Peggy yet, because…” O’Shea tapped her lip. There could be a lot of reasons, but she picked two.

“Peggy became part of your friend group, and you didn’t want to disappoint them that you’d split.”

She paused and he grunted.

One affirmative. She posed her next supposition.

“You also feel like you somehow failed in the relationship, so you’re putting off the shit you’ll get from everybody because the guilt you’re carrying already feels like it’s too much.”

One of Billboard’s big hands came up to run slowly down his sharp-angled face. “Cripes, O’Shea. How do you do that? You sound like my shrink.”

She chuckled, happy that he’d admitted she was right, but also ecstatic to hear he was seeing a therapist. She teased Billboard. “So your shrink is bright, perceptive, and doesn’t let you get away with being a dope?”

He rebutted amusedly. “She never calls me a dope.”

Ahh. A woman.O’Shea wondered how that worked for Billboard. Perhaps seeing a female in aprofessionalcapacity made it okay for him to talk.

O’Shea gave him a sassy response. “That’s because you pay her, and she wants the gravy train with your big pockets to continue. Don’t expect the same deal from me,” she stated boldly. “If you quack like a dope…”

Billboard actually laughed, interrupting. “I think you mean duck.”

“Duck. Dope. Whatever. Just don’t think I’ll let you get away with stupid shit.”

“Oh. I won’t,” he answered with complete confidence. “You’ve never pulled any punches with me before, at least as far as I can remember.”

She regarded him steadily. “I didn’t,” she agreed, gathering her courage. “I liked you a year ago and laid my interest pretty much on the line. And Billboard, my regard hasn’t changed. I like what I’m seeing today, too.”

A dimple popped out on one of his cheeks. A rare sighting. Every time she’d been hit with it in the past, she’d wanted to kiss it. What if she—?

Before she could finish her thought, Billboard posed an impudent question. “Can we possibly get back to you not just liking me, but fantasizing about me?” he queried adorably.

Uh, duh.He asked for it.

“Fine,” she stated. “Hot on the list of nocturnal dreaming, is wanting to kiss that dimple.” She pointed to the divot which obligingly increased in size at her declaration. “Any objections?”

Two very amused grunts were his response.

With her heart fluttering in her chest, O’Shea moved forward, thinking she’d go up on tiptoes, but…Screw that. She reached toward him, threaded her fingers into his slightly shaggy high and tight, and dragged his head down to hers

The minute her lips found their target on his cheek, she groaned. Or was it Billboard? Either way, the slight contact immediately demanded…more. With her lips still firmly affixed to his five-o’clock shadow, she began to back up, dragging him toward the bed. They were almost there, when—

“Uh, O’Shea?” Billboard moved his head away from her kiss, reluctantly. “We have places to be.”

She let him go with a groan.

“And if we didn’t? Would we be getting horizontal right now?” she questioned cheekily.

Billboard grinned. “Umm…no.’ He shot her down amusedly. “I’m not that easy.”

O’Shea heaved out a disappointed sigh. “Well,Iam.”

“Oh shit!” She realized what she’d just said, and immediately backtracked. “I mean I am withyou. I’m not generally—”

Billboard laid a finger over her lips. “Shh,” he responded. “I get it. There’s chemistry here.” His tone grew serious. “But O’Shea, I have to be honest. There was chemistry with Peggy, too. What therewasn’twas conversation. Or openness. Orhonesty. I never, uh, felt all that comfortable when we weren’t… Well, you know.”

O’Shea didn’t like to think about Billboard in bed with anybody, but she hoped she was hearing him correctly; that he was interested in something more with her. She knew full well that sometimes when you dated someone, you went with your physical feelings, your libido, and because of that, everything else suffered.

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