AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m fine,” I wave him away. I think I really am fine. “We should discuss the big dinner.”
His blue-eyed gaze takes me in a moment before he nods. “Right. We’re supposed to have everything finalized by tonight, aren’t we?”
He starts to unbutton his shirt and I snap my eyes shut. Then, realizing that’s a tad immature, I open them again, but turn to the side so I can stare at the white wall.
“I really don’t want to stand here any longer with half a cheesecake stuck to me,” he says. “My shirt’s absorbing it and I think it’s seeping into my skin.”
“Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course.” I cross my arms in front of me and clear my throat. If I talk about the dinner, maybe my mind can be distracted from the fact that he’s partially undressing right in front of me in the tiniest bathroom known to man. I can even feel his body heat emanating from him, his minty scent disarming me.
We go over the plans, discussing the catering company, the menu options, and when we’ll need to arrive at Barrie Mansion the night of.
“And we’re serving your cheesecake, right?”
“If you’re not sick of it, now that you’ve been thoroughly bathed in it.” I turn to him, but my laugh is snuffed out by the sight of his bare chest.
“Oh, now it’s become one with my soul, Aria.”
His stare shakes me to my core. I swallow hard.
“You and my cheesecake have just imprinted, huh?” I joke. “Are you soulmates?”
He sobers, his gaze boring into mine. “No. My soul needs something else. Someone else.”
The way he’s looking at me is not full of heat in the classic sense—in the “Theo is a Flirt” sense. It’s raw, like he’s not sure he should have said it, but it’s out there, like it or not. He balls his shirt with both hands near his waist.
My gaze falters first, landing on his abs. He’s so tall, his torso long and lithe, like a swimmer’s. I look up at the ceiling.
“Well, I should leave you to it.” My laugh sounds fake in my ears. “I don’t know why I’m still standing here.”
“We had to discuss the dinner. Sorry again about ruining a perfectly good cheesecake. And itwasgood, Aria.”
I glance at his eyes for one beat before I look away again. I’m trying to remind myself of all the reasons why I can’t feel this way when I’m around Theo. But it’s hard to remember them.
“I’m sorry about getting it all over you. See you tonight,” I say with a little wave, and I spin around to open the door. Must leave the presence of this attractive man right now before my whims and thoughts get the best of me and I say or do something stupid.
Jesse’s there, on the other side of the door, his hand stretched out to open it, his other hand holding a hanger with a clean dress shirt.
He glances at me, then at Theo, then back at me, and his smile is crooked and smug.
Oh so smug.
Chapter 17
Theo
Aria’s caught me staring at her twice in this committee meeting, and I utter a shaming reminder to myself to rein it in.
The woman’s long-time boyfriend just got engaged to someone else. She needs space, and at the very most, a friend—and only a friend—to talk to.
Liz and Marjorie are presenting on the number of sponsors who have pulled out of the festival since the scandal hit. The tone is equal parts “We got this” and “Everybody panic!”
I glance around the room at the New Hedge Community Center. I can see why they have these mismatched recliners, and I’m surprised there’s only one person falling asleep. It’s the same guy every time, Newt Arniston. I think he’s in his mid-eighties, though, so he has a good excuse.
I don’t think I could fall asleep even if I wanted to because Aria is right next to me. Yes, we’re in separate recliners, of course. But I could reach out and touch her. Every time she moves her right arm, her bracelets ring as they clash against each other, gold and silver bangles that slide along her wrist in a stupidly mesmerizing way.
We introduce plans for the dinner coming up in less than a week. Aria wants to do complex table settings, and she’s brought some mockup designs. As I get ready to turn the time over to her, I feel slightly out of my league.
“If it were up to me, I’d order in a huge batch of wings and rolls and get some big screens up with the football games, but Aria vetoed that idea.” The room erupts in laughter, more than I deserve. “So, take it away, Aria.”
