“Yeah, right.Just so happened to see it? Sure.”
“Are you upset that I’m here?” he asked seriously.
“Truthfully? No, I was actually hoping I’d see you tonight. That pic you sent this morning was so fucking hot.” I pointed my fork back and forth between us. “But this whole eating dinner together is dangerously close to crossing a line of our arrangement.”
“Eating mac n’ cheese is against the rules?”
I exhaled an annoyed breath. “No, but you coming here, us sharing a meal—I don’t want you getting your hopes up.”
“Lexi, I have no illusions about us. I think we have great chemistry, and if that’s all it is, then so be it.”
“Mmmhmm.” I didn’t believe a word that was coming out of his mouth, and I didn’t think he did either, but that was going to end up being his fucking problem, not mine.
We ate our food and made small talk while I guzzled my wine. It was bordering on a date, and I needed liquid courage to deal with that. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been on a date, if ever. Pre-fucking drinks surely didn’t count.
“Can I ask you something?” Brandon asked, putting his bowl aside and turning to face me on the couch.
“I guess so,” I reluctantly agreed.
“Why are you so anti-relationships? I know we sort of talked about it before, but I’m curious as to why? Did someone hurt you in the past?”This mother fucker.
That was not a topic I wanted to entertain. Not with him, not with anyone.Did someone hurt me? No.Someone hurt my mom, and I promised myself I wouldn’t end up like her. This thing between us wasn’t going anywhere, and I wasn’t about to bare my soul to some guy who wouldn’t be sticking around.
“Nope. I just like my freedom. Why buy the cow? Am I right?” I joked. “Let’s change the subject, okay?”
Brandon shook his head, but agreed. “Okay, Lexi. If that’s what you want.” We finished our meals on safer subjects, such as my tattoo, the shop, and my job at the hospital.
After we had finished eating, I got up to put our dishes in the sink and top off my wine. When I returned to the living room, Brandon was getting real cozy and had turned on the TV.
“Excuse me, but what are you doing?”
“I thought we could watch a movie or something,” he said so casually, I almost forgot he wasn’t just a friend.Almost.
“Are you okay? Like seriously, did you hit your head on the way over here or something?” I stared blankly at him.
“What’s the matter, Sweetheart? Afraid you’ll catch feelings if we hang out?” Brandon countered with a smirk.
“You’re an idiot.” Despite the sass I was throwing athim, I couldn’t help the smile that broke out on my face. “Fuck, fine. I gotta let my mac n’ cheese digest, anyway, before I do what I had planned to you.”
“Oh, you have a plan?” He grinned back at me.
“I’ve been thinking about it all damned day, actually.”
18
BRANDON
The anticipation was killing me. I couldn’t wait to see what Lexi had in store for me, but I tried to focus on the TV. Since it was almost Christmas, there were tons of holiday movies to choose from, and I settled on ELF, because who didn’t love that movie?
Lexi and I didn’t talk much as we watched. My mind raced. I wanted to know more about her and what made her tick.Why was she so jaded? How could I get her to open up?My thoughts continued to spiral until she got up to go to the bathroom.
A few moments later, she called out, “Hey, Santa! Come in here.”
I grabbed my Santa hat and moved quickly toward her voice. Down a small hall and past a bathroom, I arrived in Lexi’s bedroom. The lighting was dim, but not so dim that the sight of her didn’t stop in my tracks.
There, on the floor by the foot of the bed, was Lexi in allof her glory, looking sexy as hell on her knees in black lingerie.Fuck. She was something out of a dream.
“Oh, shit,” I said, somewhat surprised.
