The air was electric between them when Jenna finally stepped back, gazing up at him with expressive eyes that were filled with innocence and fire at the same time. His lips were tingling with the desire to bend his head and kiss her, even as it seemed she might do the same thing at any second.
But then the moment passed, and Jenna took a step back, a brilliant smile lighting up her face as he fought for the ability to breathe again. Yup, she would almost certainly be the death of him.
“I’m guessing your flight was horrible?” sheasked, glancing over her shoulder as she led him into her apartment. “I saw on the airline website that your takeoff was delayed multiple times. They didn’t give any details though.”
Closing the door behind him, Trevor followed her into the living room and set his bag down beside the comfortable-looking couch, then took a look around. Jenna’s apartment continued with the industrial feel he’d taken note of in the lobby, but there was a warmth to it that had been missing downstairs. That was probably thanks to the old movie posters and soft wall hangings. They softened the otherwise harsh tone of the place. Her taste in decor had turned the apartment from cold to cozy. He could definitely get used to it, that was for sure.
Not that I’m assuming I’ll have the chance to get used to it, he quickly told himself.Just, you know, if things go that way.
He was about to answer Jenna’s earlier question about the delayed flight when a petite red-haired woman walked into the room from the kitchen, a glass of wine in her hand. It struck him then that he’d been so focused on Jenna that he hadn’t even paused to check to see if there was anyone else in the apartment with her. Not to mention so wrapped up in Jenna’s scent that he hadn’t been able to smell anyone else.
Yet another indication that his inner werewolf had it as bad for Jenna as he did.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Jenna said, laughing as she pointed at the redhead. “This is my next-door neighbor—and very best friend—Madeleine Waller. She’s been keeping me company while I waited for you to get here.”
“Nice to meet you,” Madeleine said with a smile, reaching out with her free hand to shake his. “Jenna has told me a lot about you. Honestly, that’s the biggest reason I’m here. I had to see if you lived up to all the hype.”
“Hype?” he questioned, throwing a quick look at Jenna, who seemed to be blushing a bit at the moment.
It was Madeleine’s turn to laugh. “Don’t worry about it. Just girl talk,” she said with a wave of her hand before draining the last of her wine, then moving into the open kitchen to set the glass on the counter. “But now that you’re here, I’ll be on my way and give you two some time to catch up.”
Jenna tried to get her friend to stay, saying something about dinner, but Madeleine simply waved her hand again as she headed for the door. “You know what they say about three being a crowd.” She grinned. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow so you can fill me in on your reunion.”
It was impossible to miss the innuendo in Madeleine’s tone, not to mention the sly look she gave Jenna as she left. Something told him that Jenna and Madeleine were the kind of friends whoconfided in each other about everything. Trevor had to admit that he wondered what they’d said about him.
“You never did answer my question about your flight,” Jenna said, walking into the kitchen. Opening the oven, she reached inside to take something out. Something that smelled awesome.
How the hell had he missed the aroma of tomatoes, garlic, and cheese? Had this attraction to Jenna completely broken his nose?
“Yeah,” he finally managed. “We were delayed on the tarmac because one of the planes ahead of us had mechanical issues. It ended up turning a three-and-a-half -hour flight into seven.”
She set the casserole on the table, then glanced over her shoulder at him as she walked over to the fridge. “Ugh. That sounds dreadful.”
His mouth edged up. “It was worth it.”
He thought she might have blushed a little at that, but she ducked into the fridge before he could be sure. A moment later, she turned back around, holding up a bottle of beer in one hand and wine in the other, a brow raised in his direction. He pointed at the beer.
“This is the part where I’m supposed to say that you didn’t need to go to the trouble to make me something to eat,” he said. “But to be honest, it’s been a long day, and I’m starving.”
“It wasn’t any trouble,” Jenna said with a smile,handing him the beer, then pouring some wine into a glass for herself. “I thought you might be hungry after the flight, so I’d already planned to have a big dish of baked ziti ready for you. Grab a seat while I get everything set out.”
“Can I do anything to help?” he asked.
He wasn’t going to be onMasterChefanytime soon, that was for sure, but he could find his way around a kitchen okay when he had to.
“I’m good,” she said. “Sit.”
Trevor opened his mouth to make the offer again, but Jenna was already shooing him over to the glass-topped table. He pulled out a chair and sat down, watching as she moved around the kitchen. A big bowl of salad and basket of garlic bread joined the table with the baked ziti, their combined aromas making his mouth water. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had cooked dinner for him. Even if there was nothing serious going on between them—yet—it still made him feel good.
“Did my pain-in-the-ass brother give you a lot of grief about coming out here to see me?” Jenna asked as she slipped into the chair opposite him.
Trevor was too busy enjoying his first bite of the pasta, meat, and cheese combination to answer right away. To say it was delicious was an understatement. If he wasn’t so focused on maintaining his cool, manly exterior, he might have groaned out loud.
“He probably would have…if I’d told him,” Trevor finally said. “But Connor—and most of the SWAT team—think I’m visiting my family in Virginia.”
Jenna regarded him for a moment, a forkful of salad halfway to her mouth. “I hope that doesn’t mean you’re embarrassed to be hanging out with me.”
“Not a chance,” he said firmly. “If you want, I’ll pick up the phone and call your brother right now and tell him exactly where I am. But you know as well as I do that Connor will be on the next flight out here so he can do everything he can to keep us apart. I’d prefer to spend the week getting to know each other on our own terms without his interference.”
