Chapter Twelve
PAYTON
When Lily walks in, it’s like the atmosphere shifts. I know I’m treading dangerous ground here, but she’s all I’ve thought about since she left. And as engaging as this book is—the history of hockey, so, of course, INTERESTING—I’ve lost count of how many times I stopped reading to glance toward the door whenever I heard a noise outside.
But then the sound of the lock turning hits my ears, and every fiber of my body comes to life in anticipation of seeing her face. And I’m not disappointed when she walks in, giving me another chance to appreciate how her jeans and floral T-shirt perfectly accent her fit curves.
“So, was it a smashing time or just mildly tolerable?” I grin, expecting either a confirmation that her lunch with Sophie and Mia turned out fun, or more grumbling about how it’s not part of her job. Spoiler alert—I’m hoping it’s the former.
Her expression tells me nothing as she walks over and hands me a small takeout container. “Thought you’d like some hushpuppies.”
I close my book and hold my hand out. “How thoughtful.”
Our eyes catch as our fingers brush. And I don’t miss how she lingers for a moment.
She frowns, then pulls her hand away. “You didn’t tell me you asked Sophie out once.”
Interesting…she sounds almost jealous. Or is she just annoyed I left out a detail like I did about having a roommate? Yeah, I properly mucked that one up. But in my defense, I genuinely thought I could give my bodyguard the slip. Now I’m rather glad I didn’t…
“I didn’t think about it, to be honest. Is it important?”
She turns around to head toward the kitchen area. “Not in the grand scheme of things, but it might have helped avoid an awkward moment during lunch.”
As much as I want to pop a hushpuppy into my mouth, I set the container down on the coffee table because this discussion just turned more intriguing than fried dough. “How did that wind up part of the conversation?”
She gives me an exasperated look. “You went back to England, and six weeks later, you returned with a wife. They’re curious about our relationship.” She pulls out two mugs and fills the kettle. “Sophie described you as shy, by the way.”
“Did she now?” I remember that day well, and I was somewhat unsure at the moment, come to think of it. Then Luke walked in and made it clear Sophie was off limits, and the rest is history.
“Yes, she assumed I asked you out first.” Lily takes a bottle of water out of the fridge.
“Dare I ask what you told her?”
She’s avoiding my gaze, so I can’t help wondering if this bothered her. I’d be an idiot to deny the chemistry between us, but is it to the point that Lily could feel threatened by my past interest in Sophie?
“That you asked me. I said you flirted withme all evening and wouldn’t take no for an answer.” She unscrews the bottle cap and takes a sip.
“Oh, really now?” I set my book on the coffee table as well.
“No. Of course not.” She smirks at me as if she’s won a game I had no notion of. “I let her make her own assumptions.”
I grunt as I work my way up from the couch. “Like what?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Her exacerbated expression returns in full force, which only makes me think she really was jealous.
“Maybe to you, but I wasn’t there, so enlighten me.” I grin, waiting for her to continue.
She swings her hand through the air in a grand gesture to punctuate her words. “That because you weren’t shy with me, we’re meant to be together.”
I chuckle and pad my way toward the kitchen when the kettle whistles. Might as well tug this delightful thread she’s exposed while I can. “You almost sound jealous, Lily.”
She raises her brows at me and deadpans, “That’s ridiculous.”
The air buzzes between us as I lean on the counter with my good arm a few feet away from her. The downside of cracked ribs is the pain. The upside is that if it didn’t hurt so much, I’d probably make a move on Lily right now because I want nothing more than to pull her against me and explore those lush lips. Then I’d tug her hair loose so I could run my fingers through the silky strands as I kissed her again.
“Payton?”
I shake myself back to reality. “What?”
