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I nod, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of there and forget this ever happened.I don’t realize how late it actually is until I reach my car and see the time. Rather than bothering with cooking dinner, I Uber a couple of pizzas and then head home. My dinner arrives just as I pull into my driveway, so I save him the trek and walk down to collect them.
Nick pulls into his driveway as I’m walking back. He waves at me through the window, catching me off guard. I flush and step backward, losing my balance on the lawn edging well as my grip on the pizza boxes.
“Argh,” I cry out as I topple over, both boxes upending on me, coating me with tomato sauce, hot melted cheese, and pepperoni. I take a bit that landed on my chin and stick it in my mouth.
“Shit, Anna. Are you okay?”
Nick scales the fence and runs over to me like some kind of superhero, crouching by my side. The smell of his aftershave hits me, and I’m gone, but I pull myself together when I remember who my rescuer is, and just how much he’s packing. Flushing, my heart races as I stare up at him. He reaches out and carefully touches my cheek, then slides the same finger between his luscious red lips.
“Tomato sauce,” he mutters, a look of concentration on his face. Oh, my god, look away. But I can’t look anywhere other than those dark, intense eyes. “Are you hurt?”
“Just my pride,” I reply, gritting my teeth. Again.
It was the second time within the hour that I’d fallen on my ass, and both times, Nick Jenson was involved. I’m beginning to think that I’m dangerous around him. I stand up and brush the pizza off me, piling the mess back into their boxes. I walk the few meters to toss them in the bin.
“Grilled cheese sandwiches it is, then.”
“You’re welcome to come over to my place if you like? It’s nothing special. Just a curry,” he adds. “And so long as you don’t mind putting up with two potentially very bratty children.”
“I better not,” I say, as much as I want to say yes. I’d probably end up with third-degree burns. “I have exams coming up that I should be studying for.”
“And an hour break to eat is gonna kill you?” he asks. “If that’s the case, then maybe you’ve taken on too much.”
“I’ll have you know I can handle a lot,” I huff. My mind wanders back to the conversation I’d overheard in the library, and I flush because I’m not sure I can handle that. “I mean, I do have a big load, but so long as I keep on top of it…” I pause. Nope. No better. I’m just going to shut the hell up. “Dinner would be great,” I mutter, defeated.
He grins at me, his brown eyes sparkling. “Great. Come over whenever you’re ready.”I walk inside, calling out for Dad. I stop, remembering I’d dropped his dinner, too. Should I invite him over to Nick’s? I shudder. That would just be awkward. I’ll make him a sandwich and tell him Nick’s helping me with an assignment. Glancing around the kitchen, I spy the note taped to the fridge from Dad. I wander over, then rip it off to examine it.
Out with Mandy. Might be late getting home. Love you, Dad x
I frown, happy it solves the problem of dinner, but annoyed that he’s out again. I’m happy for him because it’s nice to see him dating the same woman more than once, but I feel like I never see him anymore.
Maybe I can talk to him about having some time together.I race to my room and peel off my clothes, aware that I smell like a tomato. What I intend to be a quick shower turns into a long one, and when I find a stray anchovy in my hair, I cringe. God, it’s worse than I thought. How bad must I have looked when he first got to me?
I reach down and examine my ankle, rubbing it gingerly. It’s sore, though I’m not sure which fall is responsible for it. I compare it against my other ankle. Yep. Definitely swollen. I probably should cancel dinner and rest it, but the thought of seeing Nick again is too tempting.
Dressed, makeup done and hair brushed, I throw back a couple of painkillers and make my way over to Nick’s. My heart races as I knock on the door. At least the burning pit of anxiety in my stomach is enough to take my mind off the throbbing in my ankle.
“Hey.” He grins. His eyebrows crease as he smiles at me, while casually leaning against the door. His amusement makes me uncomfortable like there’s a private joke that I’m not in on. “What, did you get lost? I was expecting you earlier. The kids have eaten and are already in bed. Mills was really looking forward to seeing you.”
