The Bucket List (A REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE)

31. SEVERIDE

A minute later I had changed and was neatly folding my clothes when the bathroom door opened and Kieran entered the room. His eyes locked with mine for a few seconds before he glanced away to throw the dirty clothes into the basket.

"Let's go."

***

"It's the last time I'm ever allowing you to drag me to the gym," I breathed before I downed the bottle of water he had thrown at me.

"Shouldn't have tried so hard to keep up, old man."

Screwing the cap onto the bottle, I limped over to the couch and dropped down onto it. My browns dipped into a frown as Albany's words from too long ago flashed through my mind.

"Do I look my age?" I asked Kieran.

His head snapped up. "What?"

"You heard me. Just answer the question."

His eyes darted over my face and then dropped down my body. The intensity in his eyes made me shift in my seat as unexplained heat flashed through my body. I had pulled the shirt off the moment we stepped through the door because it was clinging to my skin from the sweat which made it feel extra tight.

Now I kind of regretted it because Kieran was watching me in a way I'd seen him watch other men when he was going in for the kill. I just wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or scared.

"You look good for your age," he told me as he picked up his phone. "Well, accept for a few more grey hairs."

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. Kieran easily dodged it with a chuckled. I listened to him as he made the call and ordered some pizza. Dropping his phone onto the coffee table, he took a seat next to me and leaned back against the arm of the couch.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about your age?" he asked.

I shrugged, avoiding his gaze. The last thing I wanted was to explain the sudden insecurities that Albany's words had invoked inside me. I could feel his eyes burning into me as I leaned forward to grab the remote.

"When was the last time you heard from your ex-wife?"

"About two months ago," I told him. "The last time I heard from her was when she called me to invite me to her parent's annual barbeque."

"You didn't go?"

"No." I looked at him. "I don't want any part in the argument going on between her and her mother. You know she always drags me into it."

Half an hour later the pizza arrived. We showered and then got comfortable on the couch again. Kieran was still struggling to find a movie to watch. I nibbled on a slice of pizza as I stared at the screen.

There was something different about tonight. Or rather, there was something different about Kieran.

Shifting on the couch, I turned so I could face him and tilted my head to the side. My eyes darted over his face and then dropped down his body. He was slumped on the couch, totally relaxed. His hands weren't fidgeting.

"See something you like?" Kieran questioned.

I swallowed the bite and smirked. It was on the tip of my tongue to deny it, but I changed my mind. "No. You looked better in that small towel."

His finger froze above the button and the air locked in his throat. My eyes caught the movement of the tip of his tongue as it slipped out to lick his bottom lip. Slowly, Kieran turned his head to look at me. For once in my life I actually wished I could read minds then I'd be able to tell what he was thinking as he silently studied me.

Kieran's lips curled into a smile. "I could always go change back into it," he finally said, "but then you'd have to get naked too, and you seem to suddenly have a problem with your nakedness."

I threw my head back and laughed. "Ditto."

"Do you think this thing with Albany is a good idea?" Kieran asked a few minutes later.

"We can make it work," I told him without hesitation, "as long as we communicate. I did some. . . research after Steven mentioned it. Well, not exactly research. I read some books."

"There's a big difference between reality and fiction, Sev."

"I'm well aware, but it's a really interesting."

"How did you find the books?"

I gave him a small smile. "I was trying to find something on the internet about it. My secretary saw and gave me a very long list of book recommendations. I already started reading a few."

Kieran shifted on the couch. After searching through the channels a few more times, he finally settled on a movie. We both stared at the screen in silence but I wasn't really focused on what I was watching. My mind kept trailing off to Albany.

"It's never going to work," Kieran broke the silence. " It's going to end in disaster."

My eyes snapped over to him. "You seem so sure of it. Is it because you don't think that we are compatible?"

He stood and turned away but paused and looked at me over his shoulder. "Albany's made for only one man and that man is me, and I'm going to make sure that she knows that."