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“Not trying to rush you,” Adrian’s deep voice flows through the door. “Just wanted you to know you can bring Murphy. My niece wants to meet him.”
A sweet, fluttery feeling takes hold of my stomach, like leaves in the wind.He told his niece about me.
I get my other shoe on and open the door. Adrian is leaning against the beam that supports my porch overhang, looking far too debonair to be going to a barbecue. His outfit is simple–fitted charcoal pants and a pale gray sweater–but because it’shimwearing it, it looks like he belongs on a billboard selling cologne or an expensive watch.
“I’m ready to go,” I tell him. “Are you sure you want me to bring Murph? I know you don’t like for other people to drive, and he’ll probably shed in your car.”
His eyes rove over me and I bask in the approval I find in his gaze. He might not be ready to say what’s on his mind, but his body language is telling me all that I need to know. When he held me in his arms earlier I gotplentyof confirmation that he’s attracted to me too. You don’t hold a woman with such strength and tenderness when you don’t have any feelings for her. Not to mention the delicious rasp his voice took on. I could have sworn he was going to kiss me right then and there.
“How do you know I don’t like for others to drive?”
I bite my lip, realizing I said one of my private analyses out loud. It’s a theory I hadn’t proven yet, so I should have kept it to myself.
“You just seem like the type,” I reply with a casual shrug.
He narrows his icy blue eyes at me, and I turn on my heel to get Murphy’s leash before he can study my facial expression any longer. It’s only when I get a few steps into my living room that I realize I left all of Murphy’s stuff at Adrian’s this morning in my rush.
“Everything he needs is in my car. I laid down a few towels to protect the seats too. He could probably use some more food though,” Adrian says from behind me.
“Thank you,” I say over my shoulder and rush to fill up a Ziploc of his food. Murphy follows me through the house, likely hoping I’ll drop him a treat–which I do, because I’m a sucker.
“What type am I?” Adrian asks when I return to my front porch to lock up.
He bends down and ruffles Murphy’s fur, like it’s the most natural thing for him to do. Murphy responds like they’re best buds, leaning into him and getting golden fur all over his dark pants. Adrian doesn’t complain, which throws off my assessment of thinking he’s more of a neat freak.
“It was foolish of me to think you’d let my statement go,” I say and he chuckles as he opens a door for Murphy, who jumps in and lays down on the towels like he’s done it a million times before. Then, Adrian opens the passenger door for me, which turns my skin into a ripe strawberry. “Thank you,” I murmur as I slide into the buttery leather seats.
Adrian gets in on his side and starts the car, immediately adjusting the temperature and turning on the heated seats for both of us. No matter how gruff he is, his default seems to be caretaking. I tilt my head to the side, watching him as he shifts the car in reverse. He reaches an arm over the backseat, turning to look out the back window as he leaves the driveway instead of using the screen in front of us. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t even trust the car he bought to do what it’s supposed to do.
Once we’re out of the driveway, he turns back around and catches me staring. A dark brow lifts in question.
“You don’t trust the backup camera,” I state.
“It could lag or miss something. I prefer to look for myself.”
“That’s why I said you don’t like for others to drive.” I pause, hoping my words don’t come out the wrong way. “You like to be in control.”
Another eyebrow raise. Panic bubbles to the surface and I rush to explain myself.
“I don’t mean it in abadway! I just meant you think you can do things better than others–” I cut myself off with a cringe. “That’s not right either.” I take a deep breath and try again. “You want things to be done right and you feel more secure in your abilities than someone else's. Ugh,” I groan. “I’m saying everything wrong. This is why I shouldn’t be let out of my house.”
Adrian’s laughter fills the car and my eyes widen in shock. The smile on his face is breathtaking. I want to take a photo or a video and memorialize this moment. I thought he was attractive when he scowled butwowhis smile is something else. I’d give away my entire tea collection just to see him smile like this all the time.
“You’re right,” he says through his laughter. “You’re right about everything you said. I’m not sure if anyone but my family has called me out like that. And you did it so nicely too.” He keeps laughing and I can’t help but join in.
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” I say with a giggle.
He brakes at a stop sign and shoots me a playful look. “I’m not a man whose feelings are easily hurt.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s quite obvious, but even if you don’t care what I think about you, I care about you too much to be mean.”
His smile fades into a somber look, catching me off guard. “I care about what you think, Juliette. The list of people who get to have opinions on my life is admittedly short, but you’re on it.”
Warmth spreads through my chest down into my limbs. This is what I imagine it feels like to get accepted into an elite club or make the Dean’s list in college–only better. Adrian cares about whatIthink. I want to thank him, but instead, I dig my fingernails into my palms to try and keep from wiggling in excitement in my seat. I need to stay calm so I don’t scare him off, but oh how IwishI could show him how important this is to me.
For the first time in a long time I have a friend that’s not hundreds of miles away. One that cares for me and what I think. I can’t help but feel like I’m floating in a river of champagne–all bubbly and deliriously happy. I’m going to hold onto this feeling while it lasts, hopefully it won’t ever go away.
“Adrian!” Grayson shouts when we walk in the front door. “Everyone, Adrian and Juliette are here!”
