I’m so sorry, Mom.
“Come home, or else I’ll—”
She hung up on her father’s ranting and turned off her phone. Her brief conversation with him eradicated all hopes of enjoying her day out, so she returned to the villa to work on her ice cream sandwich. That was why she was in Bosque Verde, after all.
While she found a semblance of peace practicing her recipes, she ran out of steam in a few hours. The sun was slinking down the horizon, and Aubrey shook herself out of her stupor and went to the kitchen to jostle up some grub. Gone were the days of cozy breakfasts and relaxed dinners with Landon.
She poked around in the fridge and settled on a plump white peach for supper, and then she trudged back to her bedroom like a coward. There really wasn’t any need for her to hide since Landon had been avoiding her as if she were the latest strain of the flu virus. She had no right to be hurt by his absence, but her heart wouldn’t listen to reason.
She mumbled insults at herself and tore into the juicy flesh of the peach.What did I expect after what happened?She finished her dinner and walked over to the bathroom to dispose of the pit and wash her sticky hands. Then she studied herself in the bathroom mirror, hoping her reflection could clue her in about what to do next.
One thing was certain. Things couldn’t continue like this. The taut tension between them was suffocating, and she was certain something was going to snap from the palpable strain. Aubrey sat at her balcony and stared into the pastoral landscape stretching out before her. Despite the peaceful scene, her heart and mind raged war against each other. She couldn’t run from herself except in circles, the truth bashing into her face every time she fled from it. Even so, she stubbornly ran until her overworked brain threatened to short-circuit. Aubrey clenched her eyes shut.
“Fine,” she snapped at the voice in her head.Goddamn it. I have a voice in my head?Things were worse than she’d thought. “Fine, I’ll talk to him.”
Of course, she’d known what she needed to do. She wasn’t stupid. Just chicken. Landon was right. Their mad attraction wasn’t about to peacefully ride off into the sunset. Aubrey sighed. Hiding behind her defensive wall no longer held much appeal for her. The peace and security it once provided now felt claustrophobic. She was suffocating in her own fear.
Aubrey wanted Landon. She liked him—more than anyone she’d ever been with—but that didn’t mean she was going to fall stupidly in love. Her heart thumped an odd rhythm. He wasn’t looking for love or commitment either. He probably wanted to let their crazy attraction run its course. Just like she did.
Knowing what she had to do and actually doing it were two different beasts. But the man she’d spent the day with in Cambria was full of laughter and warmth. There was no need to be intimidated by Landon. They would talk like two adults and lay things out in the open. She wasn’t going to wait until she lost control of herself and make excuses later. She was going to do this with her eyes wide open and own it.
Aubrey tossed restlessly in bed, waiting for Landon to comehome.Home.It was so easy for her to imagine him coming home to her. Her tired mind spun into happy dreams when the sound of gravel crunching in the driveway jerked her awake. Blood pounding in her ears, she held her breath and listened for Landon’s footsteps.
When his bedroom door clicked shut, Aubrey scrambled for the door before skidding to a stop. She was only wearing a lacy gray slip. While it was her favorite nightie, it probably wasn’t suitable for having a serious conversation. She dug through her drawers and found a boxy T-shirt that came halfway down her thighs. Pulling the shirt over her head, Aubrey marched straight to Landon’s room.
Well, straight to the front of his door.She stood there for interminable minutes gathering the courage to knock. Her palms were slippery with sweat, and her breath came quick and shallow.
You got this.
She rapped her knuckles smartly against the wood. There was no turning back now. When Landon opened the door, she sucked in a sharp breath. He wore a pair of jeans slung low on his hips with a plain white T-shirt on top. A lock of damp hair had fallen across his forehead, and she wanted to smooth it back for him.
Landon said nothing and studied her with a wary expression. He didn’t seem angry. Just unsure of what to do. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she’d feared.
“Can we talk?” Her question emerged as a husky whisper.
He didn’t say or do anything. Aubrey wondered if he didn’t hear her when he finally stepped aside to let her in.
“Sure,” Landon replied, leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest. The hint of amusement in his voice loosened the knot in her chest.
“I owe you an apology.”
When she fell silent again, he pushed himself off the wall and dragged his hand through his hair. “You care to tell me what you want to apologize for?”
Aubrey narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m getting to that.”
His mouth twitched once. Then he gave her a flowery bow. “By all means. Please, do go on.”
“You’re being an ass. You know that?” She glared at him when he shrugged.Focus. You need to have an adult conversation.She inhaled through her nose and tried again. “At the pool, I know I gave out mixed signals. I shouldn’t have run off and left you in that… um… condition. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Since when does calling someone an ass count as a sincere apology?” He arched an eyebrow.
“That wasn’t a part of the apology.” She bristled at the wry twist of his lips. “Besides, youarebeing an ass.”
“No more games, Aubrey.” Landon stalked toward her, and his tightly reined strength compelled her to retreat until she backed into the opposite wall. “I want to touch you. Hold you. Kiss you. Not being able to is driving me crazy. I wish I could go back and unwrite that review so we didn’t have these obstacles between us.”
Gah.Her chest rose and fell as his words and the sweet vulnerability in his eyes buried themselves in her heart. “Me, too. I wish there were nothing stopping me from running to you, but there are so many.”
“I’ve decided you’re worth every risk.” Her heart stopped and then thundered back to life. Landon stood inches from her and held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “What do we do now, Aubrey Choi?”
