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“I meant that your skin is hot.”
“Oh.” Motherfudger. She could feel her cheeks heating.
“But you’re also hot in looks.”
Right. Because he had to say that now. Awkward. Why couldn’t there be a giant sinkhole ahead of them? Something that would swallow her whole.
What could she say to distract him? “How did you get into my apartment?”
“I have my ways.”
So he wasn’t going to tell her.
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re irritating?”
“Other than you?” He sent her a sexy grin.
“Yeah.”
“Nope,” he replied. “Most people find me charming.”
“They were lying to you.”
He laughed. “Were they?”
“Yep. Bet they told you that you are so lovely.”
“And those were lies?” he asked with amusement in his voice.
“All lies. You’re a pain in the behind. Total irritation. Bossy. And you don’t like to hear the word no.”
“You’re right. I don’t. So you should probably lose that word from your vocabulary when you talk to me.”
“Ha.”
“You’re being awfully rude to the person who went out of his way to pick you up.”
Crap.
Guilt flooded her stomach, knotting it tight. “Sorry, you’re right. I don’t know why, but stuff just comes out of my mouth when I’m around you. I apologize. Thank you for coming to get me. It’s really nice that you care. Just ignore me. Maybe it’s the fever talking . . . urgh, no, that’s a cop-out.”
“Whoa, hey. I was just teasing you, Rainbow,” he told her softly. Reaching over, he placed his hand on hers where it rested on her thigh.
A zing of heat ran through her body, which she knew had nothing to do with her fever.
And everything to do with him.
“You don’t need to apologize, all right?”
She nodded. But she still felt terrible.
“Can I tell you something?”
“Sure,” she said, unsure of what he was going to say.
“I like when you give me shit. Nobody else in my life would do that except my siblings. It makes me laugh. And I know you’re not bullshitting me.”
“Oh.” That made sense. “So you like when I tell you the truth about your ego getting so big that it will need its own postcode?”
“I have a feeling I’m going to regret telling you that.”
She had to grin. She wouldn’t give him a hard time. Well, not too much.
And she did feel better. Lighter.
Her eyes drifted closed and she forced herself to open them. Sleeping right now would be rude.
“It’s all right, Rainbow. You can go off to sleep. I’ll wake you when we get home.”
Home.
She wished it really felt like a home. But then, she had never really had one of those so how did she know what she was missing out on?
“I don’t want to be rude . . .”
“Stop worrying about silly shit,” he scolded. “We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends don’t worry about stuff like that. They take care of one another.”
“So far, you seem to be doing all the taking care of . . . while I create all the trouble.”
“Well, some of us are destined to be troublemakers, while others are angels.”
She grinned as her eyes closed. “You’re an angel?”
“I am. Thanks for noticing.”
A snort escaped her. “More like the devil.”
“Well, I am devilishly handsome. Wickedly smart.”
“Sinfully self-confident.”
“Good one.”
She yawned. “That wasn’t supposed to be a compliment.”
“Wasn’t it?”
Aston fought against falling asleep. She should really keep him company since he’d gone out of his way to come and pick her up.
“Go to sleep, baby,” he murmured.
Her breathing deepened. And she was sure she imagined the following words.
“Everything is all right. I’ll keep you safe.”
12
Aston studied at the line outside the nightclub as they approached. They’d had to park two blocks away, which hadn’t made Gretchen happy. Although Aston could empathize with her reluctance to walk given the five-inch heel stilettos the other woman was wearing.
“Perhaps we should have come earlier,” she suggested as she took in the line that went halfway down the block. Would they even be able to get in?
“Oh, we’re not waiting in line. That’s for common people.”
Aston shot her a look. “That’s not very nice.” And in case Gretchen wasn’t aware, Aston wasn’t rolling in money.
“Screw being nice. Aston, you can’t be a pushover all your life.” Gretchen strode toward the front of the line as Aston stood there, staring after her.
Ouch.
It wasn’t that Aston wanted to be a pushover. She was trying to do what was right.
But was Gretchen correct? Did she let people walk all over her? Today, after work, she’d had to tell Eva she couldn’t babysit because she was going out. Eva hadn’t believed her and accused her of lying to get out of looking after her kids.
But it wasn’t Aston’s job to take care of her children. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt Eva to say thanks every once in a while. Then, they day before yesterday, Mr. Logan had asked for fifty dollars to help cover his rent. She’d given it to him, but she knew she’d never see it again.
