His brows furrow as he studies my face, trying to figure out what I'm thinking. I reach over and grab his hand, stroking his palm with my thumb to steady both of us.
"Andy, it's completely up to you. I just thought... I don't know... I thought maybe you'd like this better. I know the big house weirded you out while I was in New York. This house is smaller. It's cozy. It's on the beach. It's older, charming, and... its bedrooms are painted Ted-vomit-green."
He lets out a laugh, and I laugh with him, feeling some of my tension melt away. The look in his eyes makes my heart pound for an entirely different reason now. He brings my hand to his lips, kissing it a few times before resting it back in his lap. I rub my thumb against his palm again, savoring the moment.
But then he does something I don't expect... he brings his hands to his face and starts crying.
"Andy, what's wrong?" I unbuckle my seatbelt and lean over, cupping his face in my hands.
"I love you," he mumbles through the tears.
I laugh, relief flooding me. "That's what's wrong?" I kiss his forehead a few times, unable to stop smiling.
"Yeah," he laughs too, wiping tears on his sleeve. "How do you know I'll like this more? How do you—"
"Andy, you dimwit, you're my best friend. What the hell are you talking about?"
He throws his arms around my shoulders, laughing as he kisses the side of my face. "This one. I pick this one."
I smile, brushing the hair from his eyes. "I have one more surprise for you, but you'll have to wait."
This is the one I've been most nervous about.
"Hey..." he says, looking around. "Where the hell are the guys? Where's all my furniture?"
"I told them to wait for my text. They're parked at the other house. Nothing's unloaded yet."
His eyes narrow. "Malia and Tina aren't here either."
"I told them to wait on a text from me, too."
"Why?"
"Because there's a second part to my surprise."
The way Andy looks at me then, so damn intense, sends my pulse skyrocketing.
His gaze feels like fire, and I can tell he thinks the second part of the surprise is... well...inmy pants.
God, I love this man.
It isn't. But I won't correct him.
If Andy wants a surprise in my pants, then by all means, that's exactly what he's going to get.
I climb out of the car, feeling him follow close behind. Before I can even get the front door halfway open, his hands are already on me, unbuttoning my jeans with a mischievous determination.
"Shit, Andy—"
"I want to see your big surprise," he whispers into my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine. He knows exactly what he's doing.
Oh, God.
My heart thundering in my chest, my breath hitching, I manage to kick the door closed behind us.
"Wait—I have to sendoffsome texts real quick, baby, about the surprise—"
"No, you don't."
