Page 23 of Kiss To Tempt

“This way.” I start walking down the hallway toward the back of the building. My fingers itch to rub that spot where he touched, but I try to hold it back.

We’re quiet as we make our way to the bathroom. The only sound filling the space is our footsteps echoing against the tiles.

“It’s here,” I say, pushing open the doors to the bathroom just outside of the gym. The bucket I put underneath is full, water spilling over the sides.

“That was your fix?” Quinn asks, and I can hear the amusement in his tone. “You know you actually have to empty those every once in a while, yeah?”

I give him a little shove. “Don’t tease! I was trying to find a plumber to come and fix this, and I forgot.”

“Okay,” he chuckles. “Let’s take a look.”

I move to the side to get out of his way since I know absolutely nothing about plumbing. Case in point right here.

Quinn crouches down and leans his head to the side to give it a better look. He pulls his phone out of his back pocket, turns on the flashlight, and illuminates the pipe under the sink, mumbling something to himself.

“If it’s too much…”

The flashlight goes off, and Quinn rises to his full height. It always amazes me how tall he is. He has a good six or seven inches on me, and standing by him always makes me feel small. Delicate.

There was nothing delicate about you when you were in his bed—

“Ness?”

I blink, only to find Quinn’s head slightly tilted to the side, his dark eyes looking at me like he sees everything.

“I said, the pipe got rusty with age. You just need to exchange it, and you’ll be good.” He shoves his phone into his back pocket and wipes his hands against the sides of his legs. “Do you have any new pipes handy?”

“I don’t think so?”

Quinn laughs. “I didn’t think so. I could go to the hardware store in town and get some if you want?”

“Doesn’t the basketball camp start soon?”

He looks down at his watch and rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. “Yeah, it’ll start soon. After the camp though?” There’s hopefulness in his voice, almost like a little boy’s. Then he flashes me that smile of his, and I swear I can feel myself melt from the inside out. “I’m all yours if you want me.”

His words ring in my mind, my head going in all the directions it shouldn’t, like having Quinn in my bed, feeling his lips on my body.

My throat bobs as I try to swallow, but my mouth is completely dry.

“Yeah,” I croak out. “If it’s not too much trouble, that is. I’d really appreciate it.”

“Consider it done.”

The door bangs open, and excited voices come from the hallway.

“I guess I should get going.” Quinn starts to walk backward, his eyes still on me. “Just leave it until later, and I’ll get it fixed.”

“Okay.”

Because seriously, what else would I do?

Even if I wanted to do something about it, I don’t have the time. Or, more importantly, know how.

The next two hours go in a blink of an eye. I do a sweep of the premises, making sure every room is in order and jotting down the notes on what needs to be restocked. Once done, I make sure to empty the bucket before something else draws my attention away. The moment I enter the foyer, I’m met with a new volunteer. Georgina is a seventeen-year-old girl who wants to work over the summer to get some extra credits for her college application. After some discussion, we settled on her helping students who have failed classes a few times a week, focusing mainly on math and chemistry. I’m just about to return to the office and place some orders when the door opens again.

“Welcome toBri—” The words die on my lips, my smile falling as soon as I see the person standing at the door. Every muscle in my body stiffens, my body going instantly on alert. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk,” my ex says, walking casually toward me.

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