Page 74 of Untethered Heart
She’s said nothing the whole time, just eagerly absorbed every sweet and filthy detail. Claire encourages oversharing, so there’s no point in glossing over facts. If she couldn’t get enough details from me, she’d ask Caleb without shame. I don’t think he’s ready for that level of Claire just yet.
I tear a piece of the doughnut away and pop it into my mouth while I wait for a reaction.
She extends her palm towards me, waiting with a dorky grin on her face.
“I’m not high-fiving you.”
“Oh, come on! It’s been two days, and you’re still walking funny. A good dicking deserves a high five.”
“Then high-five your boyfriend.”
“Oh, I do. Lover Boy regularly receives my praise. Actually, it’s normally me being praised. For a nice guy, he sure does have a filthy mouth.” Her eyes gloss over, and I don’t want to know where they’ve wandered off to. “Anyway, back to you. Are you guys a couple now? Are you crossing that line with your boss? Is he your boss?”
“I think it’s more of a partnership. We both have a vested interest in the tavern and distillery succeeding. I’m not sure if Dylan will see it that way.” I wince.
“Do we think big brother will approve?”
My foot shakes where it’s hanging over my knee as I contemplate the conversation I’ll eventually need to have with my brother. “I’m not sure. Dylan’s not really the relationship type. I don’t think I’ve ever introduced him to a boyfriend. Not that he cares if I date or not, but for the moment, Caleb is tied to Legacy Malt. That concerns Dylan a little more directly than just liking a boyfriend. If this turns to shit, the blow back could hit him as well.”
“I don’t think it’ll turn to shit.” Claire shakes her head.
“What makes you say that?”
She arches her eyebrows in a most unimpressed manner. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Any insight you have, please, lay it on me.”
“The guy looked obsessed with you the second you ran into him at The Wayside.”
“You mean when you pushed me?”
“You’re welcome.” She raises her coffee mug in cheers before taking a sip.
“Claire.” I laugh, but it’s half-hearted. “Seriously. When I found out that he was CalebHeart, I brought all this self-doubt on myself. He was someone I wanted to explore, but then I read about all the women he’d been with, and how important he was in the business world. I felt so inadequate, I wroteoff our connection as just one of those fleeting moments in life. But then, when we saw each other again, and realised our ties ran deeper than just our romantic connection, I didn’t want a crush to jeopardise things for my brother.”
“Dylan would never think that,” she says as she reaches over to squeeze my hand.
I shrug. “I think, for Dylan’s sake, maybe Caleb and I should lie low for a bit. Until we’re sure of what we are.”
“I can understand that. Talk to Caleb, though. If he’s anything like Leif, he’ll want you to be honest with what you’re feeling.”
“Are you a relationship expert now?”
“Well, when the dick is that good, one tries.”
“Liar. You try because you love him.”
Her eyes pivot out the window, no doubt spying her salon over the road. The thing that led her to meet Lee and face her fears around men and relationships.
With misty eyes, she looks back at me. “Yeah. I fucking love that man so hard.”
Chapter thirty-six
My hand lazily runs up and down Lex’s spine as she snuggles into me. I can’t remember ever feeling this content, let alone with a woman in my bed, but this is the effect Lex has on me.
I sat at Gage’s bar for a few hours to catch up with him and Mase before allowing myself to sneak off to see Lex, claiming my usual barstool at Hallucinogens until she finished her shift. When I drove us back to my place, she had her hand in mine for the entire drive home.
The sky is a deep, murky blue through the partially opened blinds. It’s just after six, and I think I’ve managed two hours of sleep in the last twenty-four hours, but I’ve never felt more alive.
