Bedmates Soulmates

She Vowed To Get Back At Him

Kira decided she was going to live in the bathroom forever.

Before that, she had one more thing to do-kill that bastard!

Kira wouldn't call herself a prude, but that didn't mean she was open to putting on a live sex show for her best friend in the hospital bathroom. It was all because of him!

Her reputation as an upstanding, hard-working, virtuous member of Stamford University was totally ruined by that bastard!

Who had the cheek to smile!

The worst part was, when Giana came in, Austyn was offering one final piece of proof that he hadn't had sex with that woman in the hotel. Kira stared a hole in the man, who looked languid and sated.

And pretty pleased with himself.

He offered her some tissue paper.

She snatched it out of his hand and hissed, 'Turn around!

He obliged. 'There's a shower here, if you prefer a more thorough way of cleaning up. I could join you.

Kira was tempted to kick the man's backside, but her knees were still weak.

When she was done, he turned back, still wearing that smug smile. 'Have I offered convincing proof? Do you believe me now?"

Kira washed her hands in the sink and refused to look at him.

'Or we could double-check. I know how you journalists like to be thorough."

Aaaaaaahh!

Kira spun around, jumped onto him and clamped both hands around his neck.

She was going to strangle the bastard!

Austyn reared back.

He prised her fingers away effortlessly. "What are you doing?"

'Go to hell!' she snarled.

Austyn studied her face, which had turned crimson.

*So someone saw us,' he said. 'Big deal. What's done is done. Getting angry won't turn back the clock."

She covered her ears with both hands.

Austyn pulled her hands away. "Come on. It's not like she saw anything. We were both fully clothed. I didn't even take off your- 'Oh shut up! Stop talking!"

Kira wished the group would open up and swallow her

No, swallow him first

She vowed To Get Back At Hom

24

Austyn shrugged and kept quiet.

The woman was an activé volcano right now.

It was best not to provoke her further.

She paced back and forth, stomping hard on the linoleum floor like an enraged rabbit.

"We have to go out eventually,' Austyn said matter-of-factly.

Now that his name was cleared, he had no interest in spending more time in the bathroom.

He took her hand. 'Come on.

"No!"

She shook him off and spread out both arms to block the door. I'm living here now."

"You're joking"

'No I'm not!"

'Fine. You can live here. I'm going outside."

""You can't leave, either!'

He towered over her. 'What did you just say?

Kira swallowed. 'You can't go out now. Not at the moment. Just....wait a minute longer."

"Please," she added.

Austyn relented when he saw her flushed cheeks. Fine One minute.'

The two of them stood stock-still in the bathroom.

One had an erect bearing, wearing a bespoke suit and a slight cowl.

The other had her arms open like a protective mother hen.

Neither spoke.

It was like some weird installation of performance art.

For a while, the only sound in the bathroom was the ticking of Austyn's Ferragamo Experience.

When he counted to sixty in his head, he said, 'Time's up."

'Just a...another minute."

'No.' He put his foot down.

'Thirty seconds?"

"No."

'Fifteen.'

She was like a kid fighting bedtime.

Austyn grabbed her wrist, pulled her away from the door and dragged her, kicking but not screaming, out of the bathroom.

The bright light in the ward made her squint.

"You basta-' she swallowed the rest of the word at the sight of Giana.

I don't have all day to play hide and seek,' he said simply.

Kira gave the man a dirty look and added his name to her black books.

One of these days, she vowed, she would get back at him.

But right now, she had to deal with another awkward situation.

Kira shifted her weight from side to side, looking at anywhere but her friend.

"Giana, how, uh, how are you feeling?"

'I didn't see anything!' Giana blurted, blushing.

It turned out that it wasn't just yawning that was contagious.

Kira blushed too when she saw her friend's beet-red face.

"Kill me now!' Kira thought, curling her toes.

Of all the people in the whole wide world, why must it be her best friend who walked in on her with Austyn?

Both women looked down at the floor, blushing furiously.

Austyn found the scene bizarre and frankly, a little funny.

Knowing the death stare he would receive if he dared laugh out loud, he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me. I'm stepping outside for a smoke."

He pulled the door closed on his way o

out

The sound jolted Kira into motion.

Gingerly, she sat down on the edge of Glana's bed. 'I, uh, I can explain."

'I'm listening."

Kira licked her lips and opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She didn't know where to start.

'Cat got your tongue?' Giana asked. 'Or you don't want to tell me?'

"No, it's not that Kira shook her head, avoiding Giana's probing gaze.

She picked at the white bedsheet. I'm just afraid you won't be able to handle it."

"Handle what?" Giana rolled her eyes. 'After what I saw in the bathroom, believe me, I can handle anything.'

Kira played with her hair. "You're injured pretty badly. The doctor said you needed to rest. I should probably

*Kira Hewitt, you're not leaving this room today until you spill your guts."Giana crossed her arms. "Don't make me pull it out of you." "Okay, um, here goes."

'Gol

"I, uh, I'm married."