The Bookworm's Guide to Dating (The Bookworm's Guide 1)

“Oh, it’s not for like an hour. Chill out.” He put another marshmallow over the fire. “I just gave you my s’more. You’re not allowed to shout at me.”

“Like that’s a rule.”

“I’m making it a rule. Anytime I give you food, you can’t yell.”

“I didn’t yell. Technically.”

“Semantics, Kinsley. God.”

I laughed, taking another bite of the sweet treat he’d given up for me.

I don’t know about anyone else, but that right there was a true sign he was a keeper.

I mean, I wasn’t about to give up my food for him.

I didn’t play that game.

My food was my food.

“How was your day?” He put his s’more together as I reached for another marshmallow.

“Could have been worse,” I said, putting the skewer over the fire. “Sold a bunch of books, found out Saylor could befriend her own murderer, and didn’t get yelled at by Holley. Yours?”

He snorted, almost choking on the food in his mouth. “Didn’t get punched by your brother, so I’ll call it a win.”

My lips twisted into a wry smile. “I texted him earlier, but he didn’t respond. What happened?”

“He had his offer accepted on the house. He was at Amber’s when the realtor called before work, and she listened in on the call, meaning he couldn’t tell her. I know we joke about them not breaking up, but I think this could be the real thing this time.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Was it that bad?”

Josh nodded solemnly, flicking away a burned bit of marshmallow. “Huge fight. Me and Kai took him to my place after work and finally got it out of him after three shots of vodka.”

“Wow.” I put together my own s’more. “That explains why I didn’t get a text back.”

“Yeah. He’s passed out in my spare room. He’s gonna feel rough in the morning.” He chuckled. “Seriously, though, I think they’re over. She’s pissed he bought the house without her saying yes.”

“But he told her he was going to.”

Josh shrugged and sipped his hot chocolate. “I don’t know, Kins, but it makes me feel bad for him. All he wants is to settle down, but Amber is so against everything he wants. I don’t know how they’ve actually made it this long without imploding the way they did this morning.”

“I don’t know why she doesn’t want a house. Your house is amazing, and I’m sure Colt’s is, too. Why wouldn’t you want to raise a family there instead of in her apartment? It’s not like she has a huge one.”

“I don’t know. That’s why I bought my house. I’m thirty next year—I need some security in my life, and Colt feels the same.” He leaned back and looked at the fire. The light from the flames danced over his features, and for some reason, he looked more handsome than I’d ever seen him.

The sharp line of his stubbled jaw, his full lips. His enviable cheekbones and long, dark eyelashes that framed eyes that shone in the firelight.

God, he was unfairly, ridiculously, stupidly, romance-novel level handsome.

Worry fizzled in my stomach. If, after ten years, Amber and Colt couldn’t get their shit together, what did that say about us?

I loved my house, and now Colt was buying his, Grandpa’s would likely go to me. It was large enough to raise a family in, but Josh loved his house, too.

What if we ever reached a point where we wanted to get serious like that?

What would we do?

“Hey.” Josh cupped my chin and met my eyes. “Why are you frowning?”

“You own your house,” I said softly. “And now that Colt is buying his house, Grandpa’s will probably be mine when he dies. What if we make it through all this secret stuff and eventually, we need to decide this stuff, then what happens?”

“Stop it.” He moved everything from between us and shuffled over the blanket to be right in front of me, then rested his hands either side of my face. His palms were warm against my cold cheeks, and the look in his eyes was nothing but earnest. “For one thing, this between us is still new. Not that I have any doubts about how I feel about you, but that’s absolutely not anything you need to worry about, you hear me?”

I nodded.

“And for another thing, I don’t care where I live, Kinsley. If it meant I’d get to live with you, I’d live wherever you wanted, however you wanted.” He dipped his face to mine until the tip of his nose kissed mine. “Because I would never ask you to give up a house that means as much to you as your grandpa’s does.”

Warmth rose in my cheeks, but I couldn’t tell if it was a blush or just a general effect of being near him when he was saying the things he was.

And I didn’t know what it was.