“Yup. And they’re delicious. I got you a doz—well. Eleven of them.”
Her lips twitch. “Eleven? Is that the new dozen?”
“Not quite. I didn’t grab dinner between arriving from Vegas and heading here, so I got hungry.” I give her a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
Opening the paper back, Yara takes a deep sniff. Her eyes close momentarily, and she hums in pleasure. “Mmmm. They smell delicious.”
I know she didn’t mean for the sound to come out as sexy as it did. But my dick doesn’t know that and jumps to attention.
Stop it,I silently order.This isnotwhy we’re here.
After a few seconds, she closes the bag back up and sets it on the coffee table, then turns slightly to face me. “Are you trying to save money? And that’s why you brought your luggage here? I don’t mind. I guess I’m just not sure why you didn’t call first.”
Great. Now Yara thinks I’m not just rude for showing up on Friday night without warning and basically pushing my way into her house, but I’m a cheapskate, as well.
“It’s not that,” I reply quickly. “I can afford a hotel. It’s just—” Shit. I need to tell her the truth before I make myself look like more of an asshole. “I was worried. And I wanted to see how you were doing.”
Yara frowns. “I’m fine. I told you that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Ace.” Her voice sharpens. “I’m sure. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not true. I’m perfectly fine. Great, really. You didn’t need to give up your weekend just to come check on me.”
The vibes I’m picking up are telling me I’m not going to get anywhere. Not now.
“Well, you’ve gotten me thinking aboutBattleBots,” I say, attempting a different tactic. “And since I’m in Seattle, I thought, why not see if you wanted to order pizza and watch some episodes with me. Explain why someone would use a spinner over a flipper. And that one with the giant wheels. It looks so flimsy. I can’t understand how it keeps winning.”
Yara stares at me for a long moment before leaning back against the couch. “You want to watchBattleBotsand order pizza tonight?”
“If you’re up for it. Unless you have other plans.” Or maybe she really doesn’t want me here, and she’s too polite to say. “I can get a hotel for the night, though. I guess it was kind of an asshole move, just showing up like this.”
“Or you thought I’d make an excuse if you told me the truth, which is that you think I’m on the verge of a mental breakdown after I lost it in Tacoma?”
“No. That’s not true.”
One slender eyebrow arches up. “Really?”
I lean back and stretch out my legs. “Okay, I thought there was achanceyou might make an excuse. But I don’t think you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown. Not even close.” Hesitating, I debate how much more to admit.
“I have been worried,” I confess. “I know you can take care of yourself. It’s not that. But… Shit. You’re my friend. And I just had this feeling… Anyway. It’s been a long time since we hung out. But if you’d rather I leave, that’s okay. No hard feelings.”
Yara tucks up her legs, pretzel-style, in front of her. Something deep and unreadable shifts in her eyes. “You don’t have to leave, Ace.”
“No, it was rude. Just showing up without calling.” I start to rise from the couch. “You could have plans and I’m interrupting.”
Yara’s hand darts out, clapping over my stomach and pushing me back down. The feel of her fingers splayed across my abs sends a shock of desire straight through me. My dick throbs, despite my previous warning. “Look at me,” she says with a hint of a smile. “Does it really look like I’m planning to go out tonight? My plans consist of microwaved spaghetti and meatballs and watching TV.”
“You look great,” I reply truthfully. “You could go out like that. Easily.”
Yara snorts. “Hardly. But really, stay. Pizza sounds better than what I was going to have, and…” She pauses. “It would be nice to hang out, too.”
I only just stop myself from pumping my fist in victory.
Don’t ask me why I’m so inordinately pleased about the promise of spending the evening with Yara. I just am.
“Okay.” I settle back against the cushions. My leg brushes against Yara’s knee, the simple touch sending another wave of desire through me.
No,I remind my body sternly. I’m here as a friend. To make sure Yara’s really okay, and not just feeding me a nice-sounding story. “So, pizza,” I continue. “The usual? Or do you want to try something different?”
