After we were both settled inside the car and on our way, he glanced at me. “How do you feel about ice cream?” he asked.
“Ice cream is a food group,” I retorted, covering a huge yawn with my hand.
His mouth curved as he watched me for a second before returning his attention to the road. “Wanna grab a sundae?”
“Definitely,” I replied, blinking a few times.
This is why I hated napping. It always took me forever to wake up.
Leaning my head back on the headrest, I turned to watch Landen drive. He wasn’t bulky, but his lean arms were muscled. Especially his forearms. My eyes landed on the shifting muscles that ran from his wrist to elbow and I licked my lips.
Then I blinked again. I needed to snap out of it. Maybe if he talked to me I wouldn’t be so lethargic. Or inclined to ogle him.
“I had a lot of fun today,” I said.
He glanced at me again, his eyes bright. “Good. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I’m going to brunch with some friends and doing laundry.” I made a face when I mentioned the laundry. It wasn’t my favorite chore. Which was why I always waited until nearly all my clothes were dirty before I did it. Sometimes I even bought a new outfit instead of washing the dirty ones. That’s how much I hated it.
“Want some company?”
I smirked at him. “For brunch or so you can help fold my underwear?”
He loosed a bark of laughter. “Either. Or both.”
I sighed. “The brunch is girls only. We don’t get to see each other often and it’s the only time we can gossip about men and our love lives. But I wouldn’t be opposed to help with the laundry. Especially if there’s wine involved.”
“So, I’m bringing wine?” he asked, still smiling.
“Only if you want to see my panties.”
Our flirty banter continued while we ate our sundaes and the entire drive home. Landen was usually so intense when he came to the office. Today, I felt as though I were seeing a completely different side of him. A side that most people would never see. He laughed openly and often, something I’d never seen him do with Chris. They usually resembled peas in a pod. They both seemed so stoic and wielded dry, biting wit like a weapon.
The Landen I was seeing today was…different. This man would be able to get beneath my armor and burrow under my skin. He would be able to become a part of me.
And I feared I would never want him to leave.
