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Everything is more okay than it’s been in way too long. I’m not going to say that to her, though. “Sure. I’m here with you. What could be wrong?”
Fuck. When she ducks her head and tries to hide a smile, I want to reach across the table and grab her. I practically have to sit on my hands to keep from making a big mistake. “You don’t have to say that. I already accepted the job.”
“I’m a little more interested in what happens during your off hours.”
Her full lips tighten in a smirk. “Uh, you should know by now. There’s no such thing as off hours when you’re taking care of an infant.”
She’s good. She’s also right. I can barely drag myself to work and back lately, and that’s while working fewer hours to help Nathan out. “No big parties or anything?” I tease. “We don’t have to worry about you inviting a shit ton of people over while we’re both out?”
She frowns like I just said the most ridiculous thing ever. “Uh, no. I don’t party.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“I mean it.” Her sweet voice is a little sharp. Message received.
My phone buzzes on the table, and I have to resist the impulse to throw it through the window. Now, he’s calling since texting hasn’t worked. “You can take that if you need to,” she offers before sipping her iced tea.
“Nah. It can wait.”
Her baby blues twinkle when they meet mine, then dart away. “What about you? There’s no ring on your finger. Is there a girl waiting for you to come back home now that Lilly is taken care of?”
“Nope. I’m as single as they come.” Until now, the idea of committing to one woman turned my stomach. The bullshit Nathan went through hasn’t helped. Sitting across from this girl, though? It’s a different story. This is a girl I’d want to see first thing in the morning. A girl I can imagine holding as we both fall asleep.
I swear to God, it’s like he hears my thoughts from across town. My phone buzzes again, and I take a quick look.
Nathan: Get back here. Now. There’s still a lot we need to go through before she gets settled in.
Nathan: At least let me know you’re still alive!
Nathan: Seriously. You had better not be doing what I think you’re doing.
“Your brother is probably wondering where we are.” She toys with the straw sticking out of the iced tea she’s been sipping, and I can’t help but stare as she nibbles the tip like she’s anxious. Her lips, her tongue—my god. Either I’m a hopeless pervert, or she is the most insanely hot woman I have ever met. Everything she does reaches out to me, grabs my attention, and makes me feel all tongue-tied and awkward because I know I have to keep this professional when it is the last thing on my mind.
“He probably is. But last time I checked, we don’t have to report to him.”
“I sort of feel like I do.” She winces and eyes the phone. The girl’s not stupid. She can guess at what’s going on. “I mean, he is my boss.”
“That doesn’t mean he owns every minute of your life.” Fuck, this really is desperate. Am I trying to convince this girl to spend more time with me? Is that how far I’ve gone?
Evidently, it is since throughout the drive back to my brother’s, I can’t take my mind off various ways to get her alone. To keep her for myself.
We’ve barely gotten the door open when Nathan storms at us—no, at me. “It’s about time! Is your phone broken?”
“Take it easy,” I implore while Claire stands off to the side, chewing her lip as she looks back and forth between us. “Do you wanna wake up, Lilly?”
The three of us look toward the stairs—right on cue, there’s a faint fussing sound coming from up there. “Congratulations,” I hiss, and Nathan glares at me in response.
“Can you help me get these upstairs?” Obviously, Claire has decided to overlook the argument going on between us. “I can’t wait to get up there and see her again. She’s so adorable. Don’t worry, I’ll calm her down.” She leaves us with the bags and practically skips up the stairs. I can’t help but admire her devotion, along with just about everything else about her.
“What did you do?” Nathan demands once she’s gone.
“Who says I did anything? Honestly, you’re exhausting.”
“No. You don’t get to pull that act on me. Like we’ve never fucking met. Like I don’t know you inside and out.”
“What the hell are you so upset about?” I take two of the bags and leave the biggest one for him before starting up the stairs. “I took her to get her things, and she was hungry. So we stopped off and got something to eat.”
“You son of a bitch.”
