“In all seriousness, though,” Beck says, walking down the sidewalk, “can I help you?”
“No.”
“Calla, come on. I’m just teasing.”
“I don’t need your help, and you were not teasing. You may have said it in a teasing tone, but you meant it. You think I’m immature and dramatic.”
His hands go up in surrender.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
I pause in gathering my things and look over the top of my Honda at him. I know what he’s up to. Next, he’s going to point out how easy it was for him to apologize and turn it into some teaching lesson about how this will be easier for the both of us if we come to some sort of truce. Nope. Not falling for it.
I’m smarter than he gives me credit for.
“What?” he asks with another smirk.
“Get it out.”
He shakes his head. “Get what out?”
“Your whole ‘look at how easy that was for me to apologize’ lesson you want to teach me.”
His grin widens, and his aqua eyes land on me. My breath hitches.
I know, I know, but hell, just because he annoys the ever-loving shit out of me doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s attractive.
I married the man, after all.
God, this is just so complicated.
I calm my breathing as he walks toward me, slowly. He moves in a way that’s not supposed to be sexy at all as he takes the box I’m holding up against the car with my knee. With the box tucked under his arms, he leans in. “If I wanted to teach you a lesson, Calla, it wouldn’t be in the driveway talking about apologies.”
Don’t ask him where it would be. Don’t do it.
“And where else would you teach me?”
He inhales deeply, blowing out his breath over my neck. “Somewhere private, Calla. Is that what you want to hear?”
Yes.
No!
I quickly gain my composure and step back, stacking another box on the one in his hands so he can’t see my blushing cheeks.
“I want you to take these inside while I go to my room and change out of these work clothes.”
“That’s a good private place.”
“Beck!”
His laughter follows me into the house.
“Why don’t you come with me to Tobias’s for dinner? He’s grilling, and I know for a fact that your brother and Grey will be there. Nora and Greer, too.”
Right, my two best friends. Ex-best friends, since neither of them could offer me a place to stay. To their credit, Willa is happily in love with Zane, and they need their privacy, and Greer’s apartment is too small for two people. I can’t really be mad at them—it just sucks.
“Ha, right, the two of us, showing up together like a couple of friends who get along. Ha. Ha. Ha.”
