“Long game?” Wren took a bite of her toast as Elias plated up bacon and eggs for her. “Yeah. Letting you sit in her chair will lull you into becoming her minion.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. After that, we’re the ones eating out of bowls on the floor.”
Wren casually shrugged. “You maybe, but I’ve already talked her into table rights as well as stock options. Enjoy your kibble.”
Thankfully, Elias had just finished sipping his coffee or he would have spewed it across the table when he laughed.
“Tied.” Wren ticked off a point in the air.
God, I love you.
The thought stopped his brain. Shut it down completely.
Love? I can’t love someone this quickly.
“Oh, shit, are you all right?” Wren asked, her voice full of concern.
He gave her the warmest smile he could. “Yeah, yeah, I’m just a sore loser.”
“Oh. So you’re already admitting defeat today? Excellent.” She leaned over and mock-whispered to Penny, “You’re right, that was easy.”
That got her another laugh. “Apparently so.”
They spent the next few minutes eating breakfast and during those minutes, Elias had never felt more comfortable with a woman. He wondered how Wren felt. Watching her, she seemed comfortable with him, too.
She picked up her glass of orange juice and looked at him over the rim as she drank. She set it down with a mischievous little smile then dabbed at her lips with her napkin.
“So. Dishes before or after you steal your scrubs top back?” She batted her lashes at him.
He looked her up and down, letting his gaze linger on the teasing bit of her cleavage showing thanks to the V-neck before meeting her eyes again. “I’ll get the dishes later.”
“I’ll help.”
“Eh, we’ll see.”
Wren crossed her arms. “Nope. That was the rule growing up in my house. Whoever cooks, the others clean.”
“Good rule.”
“It kept the peace.” Her voice sounded light, but her eyes dimmed for a fraction of a second and she sucked in her cheeks. “Doyou have work today?” she asked, abruptly changing the subject. “I can get a lift service to take me back to Lyons for my car.”
Elias shook his head. “Nope. I’m off today and I’ll take you to get your car, no problem.” He paused. “I don’t have work, but there is something I need to take care of. Kind of an errand at the rec center.”
Wren raised an eyebrow, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “Oh? What kind of errand?”
He couldn’t tell her outright. Elias leaned back in his chair, letting out a low sigh. “Well, I’m meeting a friend or two there, but I was also thinking. Your back seems a lot better after the massage last night, but I was wondering if maybe you’d want to try something more regular.”
Wren’s brow furrowed slightly as she set her fork on her empty plate. “What do you mean?”
“I was thinking that if I brought you along, we could get you signed up,” he suggested, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “They’ve got weightlifting and workout classes that might help strengthen your shoulder. Plus, they’ve got some equipment that could work wonders for your back. Stretching, strength training, that sort of thing.”
Wren looked intrigued. “You’re really into this whole personal trainer gig, huh?” she teased.
Elias shrugged, grinning. “Just trying to take care of you. And hey, if you want to try yoga, they have classes.”
“Yoga sounds good.” She hesitated, then smiled at him. “But only if you promise not to laugh when I fall over trying to balance.”
