“You didn’t expect me to show up to a party with hairy legs, did you?” Landon managed to keep a straight face, but he felt heat climbing up his neck. He actually did shave, not his legs but his five-o’clock shadow.
“Now, children. Be nice.” Aubrey grinned, her voice gritty from her coughing fit.
“Okay, Mama,” Aria said. “But someone had to wipe that smug grin off his face.”
Aubrey nodded solemnly. Landon cleared his throat.
“If you ladies are finished having fun at my expense, why don’t we start the celebration?” He smiled at Aubrey, and she blushed sweetly, making his heart lunge against his rib cage. “And I expect a sample of the reason for the celebration.”
11
Every night since she’d arrived in Bosque Verde, Aubrey had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. But as she climbed into bed after their impromptu celebration, she doubted she would get any sleep at all. Her heart still pounded like a bass drum beating out a battle march, and her sensitized skin felt every brush of her silky pajamas and the smooth sheets like a caress.
Landon’s eyes had followed her every movement, and she’d felt ridiculously hot in the air-conditioned kitchen. While Aria’s bright humor and warm presence had eased the tension between them, a stolen glance or an accidental brush of their skin had set Aubrey back on fire. The only thing that stopped her from ogling and panting after Landon all evening was observing Aria and Landon’s easy friendship.
Aria teased him relentlessly, and he gave back as good as he got. They didn’t pull their punches either. Even when Aubrey cringed at their bawdier jokes, thinking they’d gone too far, they only laughed harder at themselves and at each other. Watching Landon with his guard down—laid-back and playful—made herheart twist with something bittersweet. Aubrey had probably seen more of his true personality in one evening than she would’ve if she’d spent weeks with him as a business acquaintance.
She sighed and tossed onto her other side, fluffing her pillow. Landon was considerate, funny, and intelligent, and she genuinely liked him. If she could push aside her wildfire attraction to him, Operation Friendship could be a huge success. Becoming his friend would be wonderful—not to mention far less complicated than a fling—and, with any luck, lasting. With the flickering hope of having Landon in her life, Aubrey slid into sleep.
The next morning, she couldn’t get her eyes to open. She knew the sun was out through her closed lids, but they were heavy as iron curtains and refused to budge. After a minute of half-hearted struggle, sleep overpowered the morning person inside her.
When Aubrey dragged herself out of bed, it was past ten o’clock in the morning. The villa was silent when she descended the stairs after a shower. Landon seemed to have left for work, and she stood alone in the kitchen, sipping a mug of strong coffee. Her strawberry shortcake had turned out well last night, but she wanted to play around with it a little more. There was room for improvement, especially with the texture of the cake after the macerated strawberries were poured on.
Aubrey enjoyed a quiet day on her own, experimenting with her new recipe, but by sunset, she found herself glancing out the windows facing the front and listening for tires crunching against the driveway.
She wasn’t sure how this roommate thing was supposed to work. Were they going to have dinner together? Should she cook something and wait for him to come home? No, nothome,thevilla.Her cheeks warmed up at her slip. Before she couldfluster herself any further, her phone chimed to announce a new message.
Landon: I thought I’d pick up some Thai for us. Does that sound okay?
Her chest hurt as though it had fallen asleep like a lazy foot only to wake up to prickling pain. He was picking up dinner.For us.She couldn’t breathe.
Landon: Or I could cook if you’d like.
She gave her head a quick shake and typed out a response.
Aubrey: Thai sounds wonderful.
Landon: Great. I’ll see you around 7:30.
Aubrey: Okay, see you soon.
She stared at the screen for a long while, scared to look away. Her heart still fluttered like the wings of a dragonfly taking flight, and her blood hummed—this.A few words and suddenly she didn’t feel alone. Her thirsty soul soaked in the joy of having someone come home to her. Business associate. Friend. It didn’t matter at all. She was going to tuck away every moment of her time here. While she was in Bosque Verde, she wouldn’t be alone. She would have Landon.
Seven thirty was more than an hour away, and Aubrey didn’t want to drive herself crazy, waiting for him by the door. She trailed her fingers along the books in the living room bookshelf and chose a Julia Child biography. Curling her legs under her, she sat at the corner of a leather sofa and read the first page over and over again by the light of a table lamp.
The sound of a car driving toward the villa had her rushingto the door and pulling it wide open. Landon parked near the entrance and stepped out of the vehicle. Surprise registered on his face before his lips spread into a warm smile.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” she repeated because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Landon hadn’t moved from his spot by his car, but her second greeting seemed to nudge him into action. He jogged over to the passenger side and pulled out two enormous paper bags with handles. One was a brown shopping bag, and the other was a plain white one. She’d never been to a restaurant that recycled random shopping bags for takeout.
He turned sideways to get through the doorway with his load, and Aubrey belatedly stepped aside so he could get inside.
“Did you order their entire menu?”
