Page 58 of Flare

“But now you think you want to date? Me?”

I locked eyes. “If you’re interested?”

His jaw worked and the swell of butterflies in my stomach was a timely reminder that this man was gonna fuck with my life big time if I let him in. Which I apparently was. That ship had sailed with a bouquet of early freesias and a sappy card.

Instead of an answer, he leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. “I’m nothing like those guys in your store the other day. The models.”

Not quite what I was expecting. “Okaaaay. And that’s a... problem?”

He shuffled on his seat, reached for his non-existent beard, frowned, and dropped his hand. “It might be. We both know I don’t care about fashion. I don’t buy my weight in wax every few months. I’m never going to look likeanyof those people, and that’s yourworld, Rhys. That’s your comfort zone, whereas I’ve spent most of my life avoiding that kind of thing. The truth is, even if I had thought about dating you, and of course I have because I mean, fuck, look at you—”

I bristled.Look at me?

“—we live in different worlds, Rhys. We havevirtuallynothingin common. How do you see that working out?”

What the actual fuck?Disappointment coursed through me. Had I got him so completely wrong?

I folded my own arms and stretched my legs, our feet bumping before I jerked mine away. “Wow. And here I was thinking we had a good time at the bar. That you were a really nice guy, that we talked easily, that we laughed, that you didn’t just look at me and see a guy you wanted to fuck, and that we melted more than a little copper off that wall before I acted like a jackrabbit. But clearly that’s not whatyouthought since, to you, we have so little in common.”

He blanched. “What? No! That’s not what I meant.”

But I wasn’t done. “Do you think I’m too lightweight for you, Beck? Are we back there again? Because that’s pretty much what you said that first night, isn’t it? Is my life, my business too... superficial for your taste? And I’m not gonna fit in with the lofty academic social heights you aspire to? Maybe I—”

“Jesus, just stop, will you?” His eyes blew wide. “Noneof that is true. Ididhave a good time at the bar. I felt all those things you did. I just thought...” His fingers once again rose to his lip and suddenly I understood.

Fuck.“You thought that because of my job, I wouldn’t want to be with someone who wasn’t like me? That I wouldn’tseeyou and wantthatperson?” I marvelled, feeling like an idiot. “And all because of what? Because you have a scar on your lip and don’t wear GQ? You thought I wasthatshallow?”

He winced. “Maybe, at first.”

I arched a brow. “Huh. So, since all the questions about that appear to be on your side, then I’d suggest it’s you who’s shallow about that stuff, not me. I’m not one of your high school dirtbag bullies, Beck. I’m me. So, maybe it’s you not seeing me properly, not the other way around.”

“Fuck.” He scrubbed both hands down his face. “You’re the only one who can tie me up in knots like this. And I hate that you’re right.”

I nudged his knee with mine. “I usually am. Something it might pay to get used to. It’ll make life much easier.”

He laughed. “Dick.”

I grinned. “So, can we consider the dating thing?”

He narrowed his eyes, but the twinkle was back. “It’s certainly on the table.”

I ignored the way his words made my toes curl. “All right, then I need to explain what happened the other night before we go any further.”

He watched me warily. “I’m all ears.”

My mouth opened but nothing came out as suddenly it didn’t seem such a good idea after all.

“Rhys?” Beck’s chair bumped mine and his warm hand landed on my arm. “You don’t have to tell me anything. You know that, right?”

“Don’t,” I warned. “Don’t give me an out.”

He sat back. “Okay, no outs.”

“And I may need Kleenex.”

“I’ve got you covered.” He grabbed a box from his desk and dropped it in my lap. “Stressed out students,” he explained. “And apparently unexpected dating candidates.”

I snorted. “Thanks.” I stared at the box until my heart settled and then raised my gaze, the unexpected affection in his eyes loosening the worst of the knots in my chest.

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