“No, Eden, this is just an… acquaintance of mine.”
Eden’s eyes narrow as she takes me in. “And howacquaintedare you two?”
Rhiannon does the shushing motion and juts her thumb inside. “Dinner’s on the table. Go eat. I’ll be right there.”
Eden rolls her eyes and heads inside as Rhiannon steps out of the doorway, closing it gently behind her.
“That would be my younger sister, Eden. She’s only eighteen. We had a sales guy come by earlier this week and he wouldn’t stop talking to me about solar panels. She claims he was also trying to sell me on the idea of a date.”
Did I mention that this anonymous solar panel sales guy is now on my shit list? Going to find out who he is and sue him just for fun.
“Did you say yes?” I ask because I can’t help myself.
She raises a brow, her lips curving up into a smile. “Why? Would you be jealous if I did?”
“No,” I bark out way too fast. She knows I’m lying and I don’t care. Let me pretend I have any dignity left.
She laughs. “No. Remember, I don’t have time to date.”
I rub at my jaw. “Well, I’m offended. Do I really look like I’m dressed to sell solar panels?”
She steps back, her gaze rolling over my suit and dress shoes before connecting with my eyes. She’s smiling, and despite knowing she calls me aSuitopenly, I also know she likes how I look.
“Nope. You look like you’re an entertainment lawyer who bills clients one thousand dollars an hour to lose cases and crush their souls.”
I roll my eyes. “Have I told you how much I enjoy talking to you?”
She puts her hands under her chin and bats her dark eyelashes. “No. Tell me more about why it wasn’t enough to spend a full afternoon together in a hospital, so you’ve followed me to my childhood home in Brookhaven.”
“I came because you left your wallet in my apartment. I just gave it to your brother.”
Her voice softens, the teasing gone now. “Ah, I was wondering where I dropped that. Thank you. But you didn’t have to drive all the way out here. You should probably be taking the pain meds and resting your hand at home.”
I shrug, acting like it’s no big deal that I just spent my Friday night driving two hours to drop off a wallet and turn right back around after getting stitches.
“I figured you might need it for this weekend.”
She narrows her eyes as if she’s trying to read the meaning behind that, then waves her hand, gesturing inside the home.
“Come on in and have dinner with us since you’re here. You must be starving.”
“I’m good.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
She’s right. I am hungry. I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch because she was in my penthouse, distracting me, and then I spent the rest of my afternoon in the hospital, getting stitches, trying to figure out a way to get her out of my head and failing miserably.
“I made enough for leftovers. Please, join us,” she says smiling as she opens the door wider. “My siblings are crazy and will totally call you out on your shit just like I do, but it might be good for you to get knocked down a peg or two. Struggle with us blue-collar, Brookhaven folks for an hour.”
Her grin widens, and I figure, what the hell is a couple of hours spent with the Carpenter’s before I drive back home?
It’s not like it could possibly make me like her more. If anything, maybe it’ll make me like her less.
Chapter 17 – Cain
I was wrong.
I was so painfully, idiotically wrong.
