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As the houses grow more familiar, River shoots me a concerned look, one hand still on the steering wheel. “You okay?”
Pulling at the hem of my skirt, I muster a shaky smile. “Of course. I’m totally fine.”
“Liar.”
The weight in my chest grows heavier. “What if no one believes us?”
Without missing a beat, River takes one hand off the steering wheel to grasp mine, placing soft kisses on my knuckles before he rests it on his thigh. “I’ll convince them.” Then, after a thoughtful pause, he asks, “Ever considered swapping your car for something . . . greener?”
“Green?” I ask, not understanding his question.
“An electric SUV might be a better choice,” he suggests with a teasing glint in his eye as he smoothly opens the garage door, maneuvering the car inside.
“They don’t have the mileage to take me places,” I argue, even though I’ve researched electric cars. The lack of distance they offer on a single charge has always been a deal-breaker for me. Maybe if I lived in the city, I wouldn’t be against it.
River chuckles, the sound rich and deep. “Maybe you’ve just been looking in the wrong places, darling.”
I roll my eyes exaggeratedly. “There you go with that ‘darling’ again. Just call me Sutton.”
His lips twitch, a playful light dancing in his eyes. “How about . . . cutie pie?”
My nose wrinkles in playful distaste. “I’m not five. And definitely no pumpkins, sweeties, or honeys.”
He raises his hands in mock surrender. “You’re quite hard to please, aren’t you?”
I lean in, my voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “Nope. I assure you that as long as you’re hard, I’m very pleased.”
For a moment, he seems caught off guard, but then his confident grin returns. Yet, the way he thinks he can step in and flip my world upside down—even if it’s just pretend—is a bit much.
I narrow my eyes, feigning sternness but unable to hide the amusement in my voice. “Should I remind you of the rules?”
He pretends to be shocked, pressing a hand to his chest dramatically. “We have rules?”
“Obviously. Rule One: No falling in love. Two: No public sex. Three: Hands off my books. Four”—I poke him lightly, emphasizing each word—“Stop trying to be the boss of me.”
I take a deep breath, the corner of my mouth quirking up. “And Rule Five: No unexpected surprises. I hate those.”
River leans back, a smirk playing on his lips. “Five rules? That’s quite the list you’ve set up there.” He raises an eyebrow in a teasing challenge. “But, just for the record, some surprises can be quite . . . delightful, Miss Asher.”
Before I can say anything, he cuts the engine and hops out, moving quickly to the trunk. In a smooth motion, he retrieves the bags, carrying them with ease.
I climb out more slowly, stretching a little, and when I walk through the door, I stop dead in my tracks. My eyes widen as they dart across the room to the new, beautifully crafted bookcases lining the wall. There’s a new soft cream couch, it’s exactly the one I saw in one of the catalogs that arrived last week and . . . what happened to my house?
“River,” I breathe, my tone a mix of astonishment and admonishment. “What happened?”
He grins sheepishly, setting the bags down gently. “You said no touching the books. I didn’t. I simply gave them a new home—and your friends are the ones who arranged them, so see, I haven’t broken any rules.”
My fingers trace the polished wood of the new shelves. The unexpected gesture makes my heart flutter. “This . . . This is beautiful,” I admit with a sigh, trying to hide the warmth in my voice. “But you broke two rules.”
He takes a step closer, his voice low and teasing. “Maybe, but look how neatly they’re arranged and not desperately in need of love.” He winks at me and starts scanning the bookcases. “But why do you have so many books by the same author and . . . well the same book?”
“You’re too nosy,” I say, wondering how to respond.
“That’s not in the rules, is it?” He touches the spine of the books and pulls out one of them. “Because then you won’t be able to ask any questions, and … I think your beautiful head will explode.”
“Har, har.” I cross my arms unamused. “What else did you do to my house, River?”
“Me?” he asks innocently, opening the book. “Nothing at all. If you recall, I was with you.”
