I quickly discovered that we had a ton of things in common. We both loved beer and hated liquor. We shared a deep obsession with tacos and old kung fu movies. He adored dogs and preferred to spend his evenings watching Curb Your Enthusiasm reruns, which just so happened to be my all-time favorite show. It seemed that, at least on the surface, we were a match made in heaven.
“So, what’s in the bag?” I asked, poking the colorful tissue paper.
Robert’s cheeks turned red. I had figured out that it was a sure sign he was feeling nervous about something. His neck would start to flush, and it would spread upward to his face. It was adorable. “It’s nothing. Just a little something for your house.”
“Ooh, let me see.” I took the bag from his hand. I pulled out a gorgeous handmade wool blanket. It was thick and warm and perfect for snuggling on the couch. I lifted my eyes to meet his and he still looked a little embarrassed. “It’s gorgeous,” I said sincerely. “And incredibly thoughtful.”
“It’s so you can stay warm without having to go back to your room to get a blanket.”
My throat felt uncomfortably tight as I will my eyes not to tear up like a baby.
A couple of weeks ago when Robert had come over to watch a movie I had complained of being cold. I had gone back to my bedroom and brought out my comforter to curl up in. Robert hadn’t said anything, but he’d obviously cataloged it away.
I held the blanket to my face. “It’s awesome.” I reached out and pulled him toward me. I wasn’t the hugging kind of girl but damn it, I wanted to hug him.
“Thank you for being an amazing friend,” I told him, once the hugging felt too close, too intimate and we both pulled away.
Robert tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, his eyes soft. “You make it easy,” he said softly. We were standing close. So close. I could feel his breath on my face.
Before I could talk myself out of how stupid I was being, I curled my hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face down to mine. Our lips touched and the contact was electric. I heard his sharp intake of breath as I opened my mouth, and he slipped his tongue inside.
Our kiss began sweet and gentle but quickly became wild and passionate. Man, the guy knew how to kiss. He nibbled at my bottom lip. He curled his body into mine, his hands everywhere. He moved like he knew what he was doing.
We made out like teenagers in the middle of my kitchen and just as I started to wonder how far this was going to go, Edgar nosed his way between us, snorting loudly.
We broke away from each other with a laugh. “Way to be a mood killer, buddy,” I groaned, rubbing the dog’s head. He protruded his tongue in a doggie smile as he looked up at us.
Robert ran his hand down his face and seemed to be having trouble getting his breathing under control. I noticed the bulge in his pants and felt ridiculously proud of myself for getting him so worked up.
Because I liked him. I really liked him.
And I should have known better.
**
“They asked me to come too, but I’ll raincheck,” I said, breaking off the familiarity our conversation was easing into.
Robert frowned. “That’s not why I was asking. I only wanted to see if you’d be there. I don’t want you to not come. I’d like it if you were there.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” My phone pinged in my pocket and I pulled it out, seeing the email I had been waiting for. “I’ve got to go. I’ll tell Meg and Adam that I can come another time.”
I started to turn away when Robert reached out and put his hand on my arm. The physical contact was like an electric shock through my entire body. My skin reacted on a primal level to his. It was annoying.
“Please, I’d like you to be there.” His voice was calm and collected, just like he always was. It took a lot to get a show of emotion from Robert, but there was a note to his tone that I recognized as desperation. “I... I miss you.”
I blinked slowly, hardly able to believe his audacity.
“How can you miss someone that you barely know?” I asked nastily.
Robert’s expression shuttered as he dropped his hand from my arm. “We were friends—"
“Were we? Because friends talk about themselves. They open up. They don’t make their other friends feel like idiots for sharing deep, personal stuff, but refusing to do the same.” Okay, I shouldn’t be unleashing on him like that in the middle of the street. I wasn’t a “let’s argue in public” kind of person. I didn’t do public displays of any sort.