Lana nodded, eyes downcast. “Yes. I have some accounts in Europe I need to check in on.”
“Then it might be nice to have something to remember you by. Something that annoys Roger. Feels like a win-win.”
The sweetest smile spread on her face, and the look she gave him made Rick take a drink of water to wet his instantly dried mouth. Yep, that was a good look. That was a “maybe he should have double-checked his current deodorant situation” kind of look.
“So…” Lana said, her voice a low purr. Damn, how did she manage to give him chills just from breaking off a piece of bread with her fingertips? “I have a proposition for you.”
Yes. Done. Absolutely. If it involved whipped cream, even better.
Yeah, his sex drive—only last week drawing in tiny squeaky gasps of breath—had risen full force. Another bite of bread from her fingertips, and he was officially out of his mind, he wanted her so badly. Thank goodness she hadn’t brought over a camel or some shit. Who knew what he’d agree to adopt at this point?
“Would you like to watch a movie?” she asked.
“What kind of movie?”
“The boring kind that no one actually pays attention to.”
Yes. Absolutely.
Abruptly, the door opened, with three twentysomethings piling into the house, headed straight for the couch. A cheerful hello from Quinn and Grass, followed by a grunt from Diego, was the final nail in the coffin.
So close. He’d been so close.
“Our date just got crashed,” Rick told her, shaking his head. “Sorry about that. I can’t kick the kid off the couch. It’s his safe space.”
“I don’t mind.” Lana lowered her voice to not be heard in the next room over. “How is he? I haven’t seen him since the day he was in jail.”
“Frustrated. He’s going to help me out at the pool hall until he finds work. Hannah won’t hire him back while Bayard is still staying at the resort. I talked to Jax, but his hands are tied.”
“I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to grease the wheels.” Lana aimed a sympathetic glance toward the living room, where the three had turned on a movie. “He was protecting her. I hate that he’s being punished for it.”
Yeah. Rick hated it too.
In the living room, Diego had turned on a movie. On one side of the couch was a young man the same age as Diego, nice-looking and well-dressed. Grass always seemed put together. On the other side was Rick’s rumpled housemate, surly glare ramped up about ten notches. Between them, the reason for that glare was perched with her legs crossed beneath her.
When everyone knew everyone in a small town, it was impossible to miss the girl with the largest eyes ever. And when Quinn turned those eyes Diego’s way, Rick could see the reaction she had on him. With every single part of him, Diego was clearly trying to pretend he wasn’t head over heels in love with the girl.
A grunted, “Want some pizza bagels?” was Diego’s version of an epic 80s power ballad.
“Yes.” She thumped Diego’s arm with excitement. “Oh my gosh, I love those.” Quinn immediately started chattering about how much she loved them and why she loved them and how she could eat all of them. And the kid listened to her too, every single word, before rolling to his feet.
“Thanks, man,” Grass said. “Those sound good.”
If Grass had only seen the look that passed over Diego’s face, he would have left Rick’s couch and house and pizza bagels far behind. But Grass was too busy watching Quinn’s face instead.
The poor girl was oblivious to the fact that both were in love with her.
“Maybe we should give them some space,” Lana said as they cleared the table.
“It’s cold outside,” Rick reminded her.
She bumped her shoulder into his companionably. “I won’t turn into a popsicle.”
They tucked Peyton back into his carrier before heading out to the porch. The swing had acquired a nice thick layer of snow in the time since he’d left that morning.
“Why don’t you have any Christmas lights on?”
“The Santa Moose destroyed what I still had up. Plus, someone blew the main breaker in my barn. I haven’t had a chance to get to the hardware store to replace it yet.”
Guilt flashed over her features. “Wow, I bet that sucks. Who would do something like that?”
“Someone who decided to shoot me full of moose tranquilizer and take advantage of my inebriated state to pry all my deepest and darkest secrets out of me.”
This time, Lana’s eyes widened with indignation.
“I did not. I would never.” Rick waited, then she giggled. “Not on purpose anyway. What you chose to say was entirely on you.”
Like a surly kid on one side of the couch, Rick couldn’t help looking over at her. Lana’s lashes kept brushing her cheeks as she glanced down at the snowflakes on her knees. Maybe they were all the same. Dumb guys without a clue how to cover the distance between their part of the seat and hers.
But Rick wasn’t a kid. He was willing to try.
Lana’s eyebrow rose. “Did you just yawn and put your arm around me?”
“Technically, I yawned and draped my arm on the back of the swing. If you so happened to be in front of it…”
She leaned into his shoulder. “It was very smooth. I was very impressed.”
“I thought you would be.”
Since she was snuggling in, Rick figured he might be allowed to snuggle a little too. Wrapping his arm around her, he shifted to make a more comfortable space for her to lean. And when a soft sigh escaped her lips, he rested his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair.
“Thank you for dinner. I had fun tonight. And last night. And pretty much every moment I’ve spent with you.”
Diego showed his loyalty and affection through mini bagels covered in cheese and pepperoni. Rick showed his by closing his eyes and ignoring the mitten-covered fingers sneaking a bit of snow into his shirt. When she slipped her leg over to straddle his lap, Rick took a moment to remember this. The way her hips felt beneath his hands as he steadied her. The softness of her lips as she pressed her mouth to his. Her hair sliding through his fingers as he cradled the back of her neck, drawing her into a deeper, more heated kiss.
When they pulled away, Rick wondered if Lana could see the hunger in his eyes. Every muscle in his body felt shaky, he wanted her so much. Instead, he said quietly, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t keep hoping you’d do that again.”
“Depends if you were a good boy this year,” she said coyly.