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He finally said, “Yeah, you do. It makes me crazy. But in a good way.”
“Alex.” Lola sipped her cocktail, then let out a long breath. “We don’t mesh, like you said. And yet… we do. What does that mean?”
“At the moment—” he started, but as he caught sight of Pete out of the corner of his eye, returning with their appetizer, he said, “Let’s skip it go for now.” No easy feat for him, but the timing was all off.
Pete set the bowl of fries in the center of the table, along with the aioli and two other dipping sauces. “Eat up. These are awesome.”
“They smell divine,” Lola said, before digging in.
“You guys in the mood for wood-fired pizza?” Pete asked. “Our new house specialty is the Margherita. Not spicy, Alex.”
“I’m game,” Lola immediately chimed in.
“Sure,” Alex said.
Pete headed back into the kitchen.
Alex almost scowled at himself. Trying to play it cool for Lola was a joke. Especially in front of Pete. They all knew he didn’t do spicy. Didn’t do adventurous. Didn’t do crazy, spur of the moment.
And yet… He gazed at Lola over the rim of his martini glass. It dawned on him that he was selling himself short. He’d been spicy, adventurous, crazy, spur of the moment with her last night. And was more than ready, willing, and able to go to the extreme with her again.
He wanted her in ways he’d never considered with any other woman. He wanted the primal, can’t get enough of her feelings to continue.
He didn’t want to screw himself, though, by getting in over his head.
Draining his martini, Alex speared her with a serious expression and said, “I know you’re treading water right now with this new job. I don’t want to mess anything up for you. Get your feet underneath you, then we’ll see what’s what with the FWB.”
She gnawed her glossy lower lip a moment. Pete served another round of martinis before returning to the bar.
Lola said, “What happened last night helped me to get my bearings with this ad campaign and come up with something even more provocative. But I do need some sleep.” She shook her head. Gave him a heated look. “I don’t want to sleep.”
Alex grinned. “I’m not going anywhere, Lo. You know where to find me.”
It was a difficult, complicated, painful retreat. But a necessary one, in Alex’s mind.
He needed time to process what had transpired between them so unexpectedly. So quickly. He needed time to get a grip on his riotous emotions. And maybe Lola could use some time to acclimate, too. To everything.
They polished off the fries, and Pete delivered the pizza, joining them for dinner. They talked about high school and college. Even though Pete hadn’t attended ASU with them, he’d remained a part of their crew. He’d worked the bar during those years, and had taken it over when his father’s cancer had worsened. Pete Sr. was still alive—good news there. He’d defied his six-month death sentence by three years. Was, in fact, making a strong comeback while the cancer was in remission.
After dinner, Alex and Lola returned to the condo. She hesitated in the kitchen, her fingernails drumming an incessant beat on the granite counter.
Alex’s body was on fire for her, no ignoring that. But he said, “Get some sleep, Lo. You can’t be a marketing superstar when you’re exhausted.”
She sighed. “Yes. Right. And I am exhausted. At the same time, I’m… all fired up.”
Alex nodded. “Yeah, I know. My bed’s so damn close, I could whisk you off in a heartbeat. But…” He squared his shoulders. Sucked it up. “We both have other things on our plates. Sleep tonight.”
It took all the self-control he possessed, but Alex walked away.
Of course, with every step, he wanted to turn back to her. Grab her and whisk her off to his bedroom.
Steely resolve was a bitch of an emotion. It tugged at him. Tore at him. But Alex powered through and kept on moving toward his room.
He left the door open, though. Just in case…
Chapter Six
Lola paced the conference room again during the next morning’s meeting, having come up with a few more clever ideas since she’d gotten a good night’s sleep. Yet she felt like she was still in need of more creative vibes.
