“Such suspicion, Wren. I’m terribly offended.” He made atsking sound. “As an apology, I’ll accept your willingness to hear me out before you say no. Agreed?”
His solemn frown had entirely transformed into a grin of smug triumph, glee over his no-doubt-awful idea beaming from his fatigue-creased face. With one last, gentle sweep of his thumbs over her damp cheeks, he dropped his hands and took a half step back, and her skin abruptly prickled with chill.
The handsbreadth of space didn’t allow her to regain her equilibrium. Not when he still stood within easy touching distance, close enough that his flagrant appeal, his unabashed sexiness, was an unavoidable taunt.
Another Henley clung to his chest, cream-colored and unbuttoned just enough to show a flash of golden, hair-dusted skin, its pushed-up sleeves framing his thick, corded forearms. Faded jeans hugged those strong thighs close. So close.
She had to drag her gaze away from his thighs and his forearms, but his face wasn’t any better. Despite the shadows under his eyes and the lines bracketing his mouth, his smile was the sun. It dazzled her with its brightness. It burned away everything but him.
For a moment, helpless before that face, that voice, that body—all Alex was, and all he’d been to her—she could only blink and stare.
He tilted his head. “Lauren?”
His storm cloud eyes saw her entirely too well. Under their scrutiny, she blinked again and tried to remember what exactly they’d been talking about.
“Sorry.” She shook her head, hard, and gathered her scattered wits. “Listen, if this is about working for you—”
“I’m not offering you another job.” His face drooped, and damn, she knew it was an act, but it still tugged at her heart. “You’re not going to hear me out? Even though I said please?”
She cast her eyes to the ceiling. “First of all, you didn’t say please. Second, even if you had, saying please isn’t some magical incantation guaranteed to bring you your heart’s desire, Alex.”
“It’s not?” He frowned at her. “Then why have I been bothering all this time?”
When she covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking, even she didn’t know whether she was laughing or crying.
“I don’t think you’re giving my proposal the solemn consideration it deserves,” he complained, but she could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m calling the Humorless Harpies of America hotline to report your various misdeeds. I may file a formal grievance, if matters don’t improve.”
“Heaven forbid.” After wiping away telltale traces of wetness, she dropped onto the sofa. “Go on, then. I’ll give your proposal my full, stern, joyless attention, as required by HHA bylaws.”
The fondness in his regard tripped her already-racing pulse. “That’s all I ask.”
Her sofa could accommodate three people, but he settled right next to her and turned until his bent knee nudged her thigh. He didn’t apologize for the contact. Didn’t move away.
She couldn’t breathe.
“Come with me to the wedding next weekend.” He held up a hand, as if preempting her refusal. “You were already supposed to accompany me, so I know you don’t have other plans.”
The … wedding?
Oh. Oh, right. His ex’s ceremony amongst the redwoods.
Stacia said it was the only setting that could possibly dwarf my towering self-regard,he’d told Lauren weeks ago, rolling his eyes fondly. And when she’d frowned at the injustice of that insult, he’d only waved away her concern.She was just teasing me. We’ve been friends for a long time.
Lauren understood the wedding part now. But without an assigned minder, he could attend the event with anyone he wanted. Why bringher,of all people?
Alex was still speaking, even as she attempted to puzzle out his intentions. “—never let me hear the end of it if I arrived alone, and you were already supposed to be my plus-one. Since we both have time right now, and you hate flying, I thought we could do a road trip up the coast. Together.”
His words were tumbling over one another, uncharacteristically breathless, and he rubbed his palms along his hard thighs. “Which would be perfect, since I do my best thinking as I drive, and I have decisions to make about my career. Also, my virtual PA needs a couple weeks off, and travel arrangements aren’t exactly my strong suit, so …”
Okay, that made sense. Kind of.
After a steadying breath, she looked up at him. “You want me to accompany you as your PA on a trip up the coast? I mean, I’m happy to help with the arrangements, but wouldn’t you rather bring someone—”
“Not as my PA.” His stare pinned her in place. “Not as my paid companion either. I’d cover your travel expenses, because I need your organizational help, but that’s all. This wouldn’t have anything to do with business.”
Her throat prickled anew at the evidence that he truly did value her company. He truly did want to spend time with her, with or without a mandate from Ron.
Still … she’d need to start work again soon. Once she did, they might go weeks without seeing one another, or months, or—
