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Not that Kyle noticed as he’d already turned to shout at Crutch-boy. “Yo, Reg!”
“Yeah, boss?”
“Put the broom down. You’re coming with me to the club. There’s a whole bunch of college girls that want to hear about your near-death experience.”
“Dude!It was epic!”
“Sweet. Let's roll.”
A moment later, they filed out through the workshop with an excited Rashida in tow. Andy watched them go with a wistful expression, and when the loud rasp of the back door signaled they’d left the building, she let out a strange little sigh. Strange because it sounded as relieved as it did sad.
What was this girl’s deal?
Luke would have laid money she’d be clamoring to kick it with Kyle after all those weeks of mooning over him at the beach. But instead, she’d blown off her first opportunity to hang with the man in order to go swimming?
It made no sense.
This girl made no sense.
Hell, evenhedidn’t make any sense at this point.
Last week Luke had been suspicious as hell of her, but now, as he watched Andy quietly walk back across the store with her shoulders slumped, he felt this kernel of sympathy. Or maybe it was protectiveness. Whatever it was, Luke could only attribute the emotion to two things.
One, for the past several days, he’d watched this girl quietly make good on everything she’d promised his sister during that interview. Which, in turn, had finally had Mary slowing down and taking a damn load off.
And two, there was no way in hell Andy was the scheming stalker-type he’d once suspected. If anything, she was the honest-to-a-fault type. As exhibited by the vast majority of that awkward conversation she’d just had with his boy.
Andy was an odd bird. That was for sure. But something about her intrigued Luke. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. But he wanted to. And that he did surprised him. Because Luke couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to probe around in someone’s head as much as he did right now.
Which is why he couldn’t let shit go even though he damn well knew that he should.
It was also why his feet carried him across the store before his brain could talk him out of it.
Chapter nine
AndysensedLuke’sapproach.It was impossible not to considering she’d made a fool of herself in front of the man twice in the past ten minutes.
Though, admittedly, falling off the ladder hadn’t been entirely awful. Luke’s crazy-long arms had felt rather nice wrapped around her all snug and tight. They’d also smelled good. As her boobs had been pressed up to her chin, she’d gotten a whiff of a muscular forearm, and she hadn’t detected any yucky cologne smell. Only a hint of salty sweat paired with something minty. Neither of which was unpleasant.
As she wheeled one of the clothing racks back into position, Luke moved to grab the other. “I don’t need your help,” she said quickly. Luke’s brow rose, one hand on the fixture. Damn, she probably should have said that in a nicer way.
But rather than call her out for her rudeness, Luke shot it right back to her as he pushed the rack across the floor. “I’d say you do. What the hell was that back there?”
Ugh. This man was annoying. Did he really want to rehash her embarrassing display of social interaction?
Luke stomped on the locking casters of the rack, then propped an arm against it as he studied her. “Why didn’t you go with them to the club?”
Apparently, hewasin the mood for a chat.
“I know you wanted to,” he went on.
“You know nothing, Jon Snow.”
The quote slipped from her on a thick Scottish brogue, and for a moment, Luke looked taken aback. Then his eyes lit with mirth at her uncanny impersonation of Ygritte fromGame of Thrones, and he chuckled.
Up until that point, Andy had only heard from Luke the occasional bark of laughter at her expense. But this right here was a different sort of sound. A warm, deep ripple of it that had a giddy feeling seizing her. Along with a snort.
Then they were both cracking up.
