Page 26 of Knot So Fast
"Don't answer that," I groan, realizing I probably don't want to know the extent of his apparent access to my life.
I unlock the door and swing it open, gesturing for both men to come inside.
"You're probably hungry," I tell Kieran, falling back on the basic courtesy my parents drilled into me before... well, before whatever happened to them. "You can have breakfast with us if you want."
Kieran frowns, checking his watch.
"I have work."
"You just said you hate it," I point out logically. "So why do you care if you're a little late?"
He doesn't answer, but I catch him watching as I start to strip out of my sweat-soaked crop top. The sports bra underneath isperfectly decent, but there's something about the way his gaze tracks the movement that makes my skin heat up.
"There's clearly a stranger here," Luke reminds me with the tone of someone who's had to point out social conventions to me before.
I shrug, continuing to peel off the damp fabric.
"If he has access to our building and knows where we live, he's probably seen my drunk naked ass dancing on the kitchen island or worse. At this point, a sports bra is basically formal wear."
Kieran's smirk deepens as he moves toward my refrigerator with the casual familiarity of someone who's been here before. He pulls out a bottle of sparkling water like he knows exactly where everything is located.
"It wasn't on the island," he says with obvious amusement.
I pause in the hallway, halfway to my bedroom, and look back at him.
"Where was it then?"
His grin widens as he deliberately pats his groin area, and my entire face erupts in a blush so intense I probably look like a tomato.
"Jesus Christ!" I curse, mortified. "Let the door hit you on the way out!"
He chuckles, the sound rich and warm and entirely too appealing.
"I'd be happy to stay for breakfast."
"Fuck no," I snap, my embarrassment making me more aggressive than usual.
I look to Luke for backup, but he immediately puts his hands up in surrender.
"I'm not entering this battle," Luke declares. "Either rock-paper-scissors it out, or give up and move on. I'm not picking sides in whatever weird history you two have."
I groan in frustration.
"I always lose at the most simplistic games! It's not fair!" But even as I complain, I know I'm fighting a losing battle. The combination of Kieran's apparent knowledge of my living situation, Luke's refusal to help, and my own curiosity about what exactly my relationship with this man used to be is wearing down my resistance.
"Fine," I huff, throwing my hands up in defeat. "He can fucking stay. But I'm taking a shower first, and if either of you finishes the last of my good coffee, I'm committing murder."
I stomp toward my bathroom, muttering curses under my breath about complicated men and lost memories and apartments that apparently have more security access than a government facility. What I really need is a cold shower to clear my head and give me time to process whatever the hell is happening here.
As I reach my bedroom door, I can hear Luke and Kieran talking quietly in the kitchen, their voices too low for me to make out actual words.
But there's a familiarity to their interaction that suggests they know each other better than either of them is letting on.
I close my bedroom door and lean against it, taking a moment to breathe and try to organize my thoughts. The morning started with a simple run and has somehow evolved into me discovering that a man I barely remember from the hospital has access to my building, knows intimate details about my drunk behavior, and apparently has some kind of complicated history with both me and Luke.
The amnesia that resulted from my accident is supposed to be temporary, according to my doctors. They keep telling me that memories could come back at any time, triggered by familiar scents, sounds, or situations. But so far, all I've gotten are these frustrating glimpses—moments where I feel like I'm onthe verge of remembering something important, only to have it slip away like water through my fingers.
Kieran definitely triggers that feeling.
