Page 2 of Be The One

Kenan’s eyes met mine again, and I battled to keep my cheeks from burning up. Between my hormones doing gymnastics and my annoyance with Brad, composure was nowhere to be found. Conveniently, the server was walking by and heard what I said. He stopped beside us. “I’ve got the check right here. Are you—”

I cut in. “Two checks, please.”

His expression didn’t even twitch. He had heard Brad running on every time he stopped by the table, so I sensed he took pity on me when his eyes met mine. Lifting a handheld tablet, he quickly tapped on the screen, then printed out a receipt and handed it to me. I paid right there on the spot while Brad continued to try to chat up Kenan.

I mentally excused myself from being rude. “Nice to see you tonight, Kenan. Good to meet you, Brad. You take care now.” I nodded at them both.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if dust kicked up behind my heels as I walked away from the table. I didn’t hear Kenan say goodbye to Brad, but I knew he was behind me a moment later because I could feel him. The damn man.

Normally, I would’ve been relieved to see him. I wanted to vent to him about my nightmare of a date and lament my poor dating prospects in Fireweed Harbor. But lately, every time we spent time together, it ended with me flustered and spun tight inside with arousal. It was disconcerting and maddening, to say the least.

ChapterTwo

KENAN

Minutes earlier

Quinn Blackthorn stared at me beside the table, her eyes practically shooting sparks. I couldn’t believe my luck. I would never,fucking ever, admit to her that I had seen her seated at this table through a window outside and couldn’t resist coming in. Even from a distance, I’d known she was annoyed with this Brad guy. I knew Quinn well, maybe too well. The set of her jaw and the boredom written all over her face had given her away.

I would also never,fucking ever, admit to her that I had a thing for her. I didn’t know what the hell to do about it, and I kept telling myself it would pass. Crazy drumbeats of lust kicked up every time we were near each other. It had only been a month since it happened, and I was convinced it was a fluke.

Fortunately, I was a busy guy, and Quinn was a workaholic. Even though we usually got together at least once a week or so, I’d been successfully avoiding her and hoped she hadn’t noticed. Somehow, seeing her here in Seattle—on a date, for crying out loud—had been irresistible.

A moment later, Quinn had spun away and was disappearing with swift strides through the restaurant. I was pretty sure she was trying to shake me. She was out of luck on that count. I had a room beside her at the hotel. I walked briskly to catch up with her.

I met her and slowed my stride to match her pace. Quinn came to a stop and blinked when she looked up at me. Yet again, I noticed how thick her eyelashes were. Until recently, I could honestly say I’d never noticed my friend’s eyelashes.

I shifted on my feet, hoping against hope that Quinn had not noticed my arousal. Lately, it was a war of wills between my brain and body whenever I was around her. Which was seriously fucking inconvenient because she was my best friend.

It had all started at Blake’s wedding. Something misfired in the universe that day. I’d seen Quinn at the reception afterward, a perfectly normal and expected encounter. In a matter of mere seconds, it felt as if lightning had shot down from the sky and set my body alight with a sizzling need for her.

She was practically family. I didn’t remember not knowing her. Although we’d always been friendly, after we’d both moved away for college and so on and returned to our small hometown, we’d become close friends.

She was the friend I turned to when I needed to talk. I could talk with her in a way I couldn’t with anyone else, even my family. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my family. It was more that sometimes you just needed someone who wasn’t in the thick of it. Lord knows, being one of seven siblings with a few tangled family messes in our past, something was always going on.

When she stopped at the intersection to look up at me, that feeling slammed into me—it felt like a fist thudded into my chest and sent sensation outward in a blast. Electricity flickered between us, tightening every cell in my body as they fired with anticipation and restless need.

Quinn was stunning, and she was annoyed. Her gorgeous hazel eyes narrowed. I loved the way her nose turned up at the end and her bow-shaped lips. They were just, well, kissable was the only word that came to mind. And holy hell did I want to kiss her.

I was relieved when the light changed, and we resumed walking. Because I wasthatfucking close to kissing her.

Her fitted skirt flared just above her knees, and she’d paired it with tall boots. No heels for Quinn. She was too practical for that. Her jacket hung open, and I noticed, yet again when we stopped at another intersection, that she was wearing a silky blouse. I could see the lace of her bra peeking out at the edge when she lifted a hand to brush her hair back impatiently.

Fuck me. I wanted to unbutton her blouse. With my teeth. To peel it back and see what lay hidden behind it.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know Quinn had curves. I’d just never paid attention to them. Now, I was dying to know how the weight of one of her plump breasts would feel cupped in my palm. I wanted to know how pink her nipples were and how she might sound if I teased her and sucked one into my mouth.

“Kenan?” Quinn waved a hand in front of my face.

I’d completely spaced out and had no idea what she’d just said, if anything. I decided to play it off. “Light changed,” I said quickly. “Race you to the hotel.”

Moments later, we were both out of breath when we stopped in front of the hotel. She leaned over to tug her skirt down a little, giving me a revealing glimpse of the shadowed valley between her breasts. I could see the curves, and my cock swelled.

Fuck. I needed to get a grip and fast.

ChapterThree

QUINN

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