“I don’t take kindly to orders.”
He opened his door and got out, coming around the back of his SUV. “I knew you were going to be difficult. That’s why I took the liberty of packing a bag for you.” He reached inside the back and pulled out a purple duffle bag.Mypurple duffle bag.
My mouth fell open. “You went to my house. You went through my things?”
“You need to clean out your closet.”
“How the hell do you get in and out of my apartment?”
He smirked. “I have friends.”
“Youhave friends? How much do you have to pay them to keep them around?”
“Very funny,” he replied. “I don’t have time to argue with you. I’ll follow you home. Park your Jeep. Then we’re going to the airport.”
The depth of his idiocy was incredible. “I’m. Not. Going.”
His green eyes flashed with impatience and he stalked toward me, burying both his hands into his jean pockets. He was wearing jeans. Not dress pants or trousers. Honest to God jeans. They were low slung, worn, and faded with a rip in one of the knees. I looked at his shirt. It was a plain, long-sleeved cotton tee with half the hem tucked into the front of said jeans.
Holy hell, could he wear a pair of jeans. If I looked like that in jeans, I would sleep in them. I certainly wouldn’t wear dress pants.
He snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Frankie.” When I looked at him, he continued. “I don’t have time to argue with you. The plane is ready. I’m not leaving you here to wreak havoc on my life while I’m gone.” He brought his jean-wearing self even closer, the toe of his Nike bumping into the toe of my heel. “Don’t think I didn’t know what you were up to at lunch the other day, what you were going to do.”
I batted my eyes at him all innocent-like.
“Please,” he muttered. “There isn’t an innocent bone in your entire body.”
I scowled. “You are so rude.”
“If I was as rude as you think, I would have killed you for all the stuff you’ve pulled. Instead, I’m hauling you off on vacation and you’re stupid enough to argue about it.”
Wait a minute. Vacation?
A sly smile slipped over his features when he saw the interest in my eyes. Gah! I was so stupid. I should have acted like I was still annoyed.
“Have you ever been to California?” he asked, dangling a carrot in front of a very hungry rabbit (me). “The palm trees, the beaches…”
Act like you don’t care. Act like you don’t care,I repeated over and over in my head.
“Rodeo Drive…” he added.
A rabbit couldn’t resist a carrot. How was I supposed to resist all that? “You’re going to California?”
“No, we are.”
“I can’t go to California. I have to work. I have a life.”
He rolled his eyes. “Please. You hate your life.”
“I do not!” I burst out.
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over that sexy body of his.
“Just my job and everything currently going on in my personal life… which isallyour fault.”
“Well then, take advantage of a free vacation to Los Angeles. I’ll even give you my American Express card to go shopping.”
I pursed my lips. “You really think I’m going to screw everything up, don’t you?”
