Chapter Ten
“Thank you for dinner,” Lauren said, standing, glancing at her watch. I knew what she was doing—she was trying to ditch me. “It was delicious, but it’s getting late.”
“Sure,” I said, playing along.
We carried the plates inside, and I immediately set about rinsing them off and stacking them in the dishwasher.
“You do the dishes?” She leaned her hip against the counter, crossing her arms. “Or are you just trying to impress me?”
“Is it working?” I teased. I knew I could take care of it later, but I’d rather get it out of the way.
She lifted a shoulder. “Nah.”
“You sure about that?” I teased, making a show of plunging the scrub brush in and out of the wineglass.
“You’re doing it all wrong.” She nudged me aside, taking my place at the sink.
I chuckled and picked up a cloth so I could dry the dishes after she cleaned them. “You know this isn’t necessary.” I took the glass from her when she handed it to me. “I can take care of it later.”
She turned to me, dish in hand, soapy water dripping from her skin. “You mean your maid can take care of this later.”
“I do have someone come in and clean once a week, but I cook my meals and wash my dishes. I do my laundry—well, at least what little of it that isn’t dry-clean only.”
“Oh.” The word fell from her lips, and she quickly returned her attention to the dishes. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
I took another dish from her, our fingers brushing in the process. I wanted to stay there, to linger at her side, but she was determined to keep moving. Though, if she really didn’t want to be here, she could’ve made some excuse and left already. I smirked to myself. If it were up to me, she wouldn’t be leaving until both of us had had multiple orgasms.
I bent over to load the dish while she rinsed the next one. When I spun back to face her, I found her watching me. Her eyes were dark, her lips parted ever so slightly. She really was incredibly beautiful, especially in the dimly lit kitchen. The hair around her face formed delicate curls, her cheeks were flushed, and I could just imagine what she’d look like when she came.
Fuck.And now I was thinking of her coming, and my dick was straining against my zipper. And…I needed to think of something that wassonot sexy.
“It’s fine. Now my parents, they have a maid—uniform and everything.”
And that did it.
She bit her lip, and I sensed she wanted to say something. A few minutes later, the last dish had been rinsed and loaded, and she was drying off her hands. When she was done, she handed me the towel, and I paused, standing so close I could smell her tropical scent. The problem was, it wasn’t nearly close enough.
She tilted her head up to look at me. “I’m sorry. I should know better than to make assumptions about people. I mean, even when you think you know someone, they can turn out to be completely different than you expected.”
I wondered what she meant by that—or rather, whom she was referring to. But before I could ask, her eyes shuttered closed and she turned away. It had been like that throughout the evening. She’d give me a glimpse inside her world, and then she’d shut down again. She’d shut me out again. I wondered if it was just me or if it was everyone. Though, I got the feeling that she didn’t let many people in.
“Anyway. Thanks again.”
“Wait.” I grabbed her arm, desperate to make her stay.
I wasn’t used to feeling this way about a woman. I wasn’t used to working so hard or tamping down my desires in an effort to get to know her. It was kind of…refreshing.
“Hunter.” Her tone was pleading, and I sensed she was near her breaking point. What would it take to push her over the edge? To give in to me, to whatever this was that was building between us.
“You can’t leave without a proper tour,” I said, knowing she wouldn’t be able to refuse.
She glanced toward the front door and let out a deep sigh. “You’re right.”
I wanted to laugh, but I also wanted her to stop trying to run away. As much as I enjoyed the chase, I wanted more of those moments where she let down her guard. I wanted more time with her—and not just in the bedroom. And since I wasn’t quite sure what to think of that little revelation, I decided not to dwell on it.
“Let me grab some things so I can take notes,” she said, edging toward her purse.
As I led her through my home, she clutched her tape measure and tablet to her chest as if they were a shield. I hid my smile as I watched her, wondering what she saw.
