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“Well, it’s the truth! Not to mention that you . . . um, well.”
“Were you going to say I’m too old to be carrying you around, baby girl?” he asked in a dark voice.
“What? Nope,” she said quickly. “I would never say that. In fact, I didn’t say anything. Pretty sure you’re hearing voices.”
“Voices, huh? Not sure that sounds any better than not being strong enough to carry you around. And before you can say something ridiculous, you hardly weigh anything.”
That definitely wasn’t true. And shame on him for lying. Although she had to admit, it did feel nice being held like this. And must be really strong to carry her so effortlessly.
Ahh, fuck it. If he hurt his back, that was his problem, right?
“And I might nurse him back to health. I could probably rock a naughty nurse uniform,” she muttered.
“You could definitely rock a naughty nurse uniform,” he told her.
“Shoot. I have got to stop talking out loud. It’s worse when I’m tired. I stop having a filter. Not that I have much of one in the first place. But I had enough of one not to tell my boss what a jackass he was until—”
He pressed his lips to hers.
That was . . . unexpected.
But also, a heck of a way to stop her from rambling.
“Whoa,” she said when he drew back. “Reu . . . ah, my best friend usually just tells me to hush up when I start rambling.”
“What?”
“In a nice way,” she added. “Not in a mean way. He knows I hate rambling but can’t stop myself sometimes.”
“Your best friend is a guy called Roo?” he asked.
She tensed. “Is that a problem?” She didn’t correct him on Reuben’s name, remembering Reuben’s earlier warning about not letting on that they knew each other.
She waited for his answer. She knew that some guys didn’t like their girlfriends having guy friends.
And even though they weren’t actually in a relationship . . . well, it was better to know his views now. Right?
Because Reuben was nonnegotiable.
She didn’t care whether his best friend was a man or a woman or a rhinoceros.
Whatever made him happy. And she expected the same courtesy in return.
Listen to you . . . you don’t even know if he has a best friend because you don’t know him.
“Why would it be a problem?” he asked calmly. “He’s a good best friend?”
“He really is. I don’t have any other friends. But I don’t need to.” Except she’d had fun tonight, hadn’t she?
Maybe it would be nice to have a few other people in her life she could count on.
“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you to the Lucky Hotel and into bed. You’re tired. Shh. That’s it. Come on.”
“Are you trying to get me into your truck?” she murmured tiredly as he held her against his chest and carried her through the parking lot.
“Hmm. Yes. I am. That a problem?”
“I can walk back to the hotel. It’s not that far.” She tried to raise her head.
“Yeah, that’s not happening. So get that thought out of your head.”
She yawned. Then winced. “Shoot. Sorry. That was rude.”
He set her down on her feet and leaned her against his truck before unlocking the passenger door.
“In you get.” He helped steady her as she climbed up into his truck. “Watch your head.” He placed his hand on the top of her head to protect it from banging against the door frame.
That was so sweet.
Had she ever met anyone this sweet before? She was pretty sure she hadn’t.
“Do you still have that chocolate?” she asked.
“I do.” He grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it over her before reaching into the glovebox to pull out a chocolate bar.
Her stomach gurgled as he opened it and broke off a piece. She reached for it, but he drew his hand back.
Her stomach tightened. Was he going to be a jerk and dangle it in front of her before eating it himself or something?
Wow. She hadn’t thought he had a mean streak.
“Open up,” he commanded.
Huh?
“Open your lips, baby girl. That’s it.” He placed the piece of chocolate in her mouth, then brushed his finger along her lips as she closed them. “Good girl. Eat your chocolate. You earned it after all your hard work.”
He closed the door and jogged around the front of the truck before climbing in.
“Hard work?” she asked. “I didn’t bike that far.” And she really shouldn’t reward herself with candy every time she did some exercise. Kind of defeated the purpose.
Damn it.
“I meant with the quiz,” he told her.
“Ahh. Kiesha and Loki take it very seriously, huh?”
“Very. I can’t believe Loki thought I was going to let him take you on the back of his bike.”
“You know you’re not the boss of me, right?”
“You’re not going on the back of his bike, Gwendolyn.”
