He glanced at me. “Do what?”
Why hide? You haven’t so far.
I held his gaze. “Take my time.”
Something in his expression shifted. “So this is unusual for you?”
“Yes.”
Kieran seemed to absorb that. “Why now?” he asked after a moment.
I considered the question. I could have deflected, made my response lighter, but he wasn’t asking lightly.
“Because most people don’t make it worth the effort,” I said at last.
He blinked. “Right.” After a moment, he reached for his glass, taking a sip.
“You’re not holding yourself back as much.” I knew I was repeating myself, but it felt important to make him recognise the fact.
Kieran expelled a slow breath. “I don’t think I realised how much I was doing that.”
“Most people don’t.”
He nodded, looking back out over the water. “And Berlin helps with that?”
“It can,” I said. “If you let it.”
Kieran turned his head, studying me. “And are you part of it?”
I met his gaze. “Yes.”
His breath hitched, and then he smiled. “I thought you might be.”
“Does that concern you?”
He regarded me steadily. “No.”
I couldn’t resist. “It probably should.”
That earned me a laugh. “I don’t think I’m as cautious as I was yesterday,” he said after a moment.
“No, you’re not,” I agreed.
He arched his eyebrows. “You’ve noticed.”
I smiled. “I notice everything.”
His eyes flicked to mine. “Yes,” he said, his voice quiet. “I think you do. And you’re right—I’m not holding back anymore.”
Even with the open sky around us, the space between us felt smaller now.
“There’s something I don’t understand,” I said after a moment of silence.
Kieran chuckled. “I should think there’s very little thatyoudon’t understand.”
I brought my hand to my chest. “A compliment. Thank you.” I drank some more before speaking. “You say you live in Manchester. I’ve met a lot of men from the UK, including some from the northwest, and… you don’t sound like them.”
He laughed. “Meaning, I don’t sound like I’m a member of Oasis? Now it’s me thankingyoufor the compliment. I haven’t always lived there.”