“This Saturday?” I ask. I’m supposed to have a girl’s night with my college friends, but I’ll cancel to get these favors over and done with.
“It’s not local. We’ll be leaving Thursday night and coming home Sunday evening at some point.”
“What?” My voice raises and Roarke steps back, readying himself for a fight I’d guess. “That is a huge imposition.” I cock my hip and place my hands on my waist. “Way more than a favor.”
He stuffs his hands back into his pockets, a cocky smirk on his lips. “Well, I think favor one was pretty easy. Who’s to say favor four won’t be just as simple? We never agreed to the extent of the favors.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “So, you could ask me to move to Africa and I’m expected to consider that a favor?”
“You’re being a tad dramatic. It’s three nights. You’ll have your own room and we’ll be around other people almost the entire time.”
“Almost?” I raise my eyebrows at him.
“You can’t fault me for stealing away a few private moments with you.”
“Actually I could.” A smile fights to tip up my lips, but I’m able to control it enough to stop myself.
“I’ll pick you up Thursday at seven pm.” His arm extends out and wraps lightly around my waist and for some reason, I don’t swat it away like I should. His lips press to my cheek and once again I let myself down by not fighting him off.
I tell myself it’s because I don’t want to make a scene but who am I kidding? I want to know what it feels like to have his hands on me.
His musky cologne acts like a vibrator right between my legs and I have to squeeze my thighs together. His soft lips only deepen the ache. “Think about changing the date. I’d love to stand out here and watch fireworks with you in my arms.”
I stiffen. “We’re almost half done with the favors and I still don’t want to date you.”
He chuckles, his body leaving mine. “Don’t worry. You will.”
Walking past me, I force my gaze to remain glued to the slow rippling waves washing up against the edge of the wall. “Bye, Sonya. Thanks again, ladies.” He waves goodbye to them and then he’s gone.
A whole weekend away with only him. Me at his mercy.
I spin on my heel and face my pregnant employee. “Chelsea, I need to borrow your pepper spray.”
Chapter Twelve
On Wednesday evening, Lucy and I exit the Uber in front of Victoria and Reed’s new place beside her mom’s house. She must have been waiting for us, because I’m barely out of the car before her daughter Jade is running down the sidewalk jumping up and down in excitement.
“Hi, Hannah.” She claps and falls to her knees. “Hi, Lucy girl.” She runs her hand through Lucy’s thick fur.
“Hey.” Victoria jogs down the steps, her hands outstretched. “Let me help you.”
“This dog does come with a shit load of stuff.”
Jade’s hands stop moving and she looks up at me.
“Sorry,” I cringe.
Her shoulders shrug and she continues petting Lucy as she falls to her back, signaling that she wants Jade to rub her stomach.
“She’s heard worse. Pete,” Victoria references her ex-husband. “Come on in. I know you’re probably eager to get back to your condo and prepare for this weekend.”
“Oh yeah, can’t wait. If I wasn’t wearing a dress, I wouldn’t shave my legs.” I haul Lucy’s bed under my arm and her bag of food with her leash over my shoulder. “You sure about this?”
Jade runs up the sidewalk to their front door, Lucy at her side. “REED!” she screams.
He comes to the door, smiling tentatively at Lucy. “Hey, Lucy,” he says, patting her head like she might infect him with the rabies virus.
“Are you sure Reed’s okay with this?” I ask as we make our way up the path to the house.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t he be? It’s all Jade’s talked about. Since she leaves for California next week, it will be nice for them to spend time together,” she says.
I forgot Jade is going to stay with her father in Los Angeles for a month this summer.
“How are you doing with that?” I ask Victoria.
She shrugs. “I’m fine. It will be fine. I met the nanny over Skype and I’ll see her face-to-face when we get there. Reed and I are staying the weekend in a hotel just in case. Then, we’re taking Henry back with us and staying longer when it’s time to bring her home.”
Henry is Jade’s little friend from school. “You sure have your hands full.”
“Welcome to my life.” We step up into the house, Reed taking the dog bed from me.
“Hannah,” he says, kissing me on the cheek. “Excited?”
My lips dip and I stare at him like someone just said I have to get a root canal.
He chuckles to himself sliding the bag off my arm. “That bad, huh?”
“Do you know Roarke Baldwin?” I ask.
Reed places the bag of food on the dog bed in the corner of the room.
“Only a little bit. Obviously, I know his reputation, but it’s not like we work in the same field of law.”
“He knew you were dating Victoria,” I say.
Victoria picks up the bag of food and heads to the kitchen where I hear her pour the food into a dish.
“Can I take Lucy out back?” Jade asks Reed.
He gives her a fleeting look. “Yeah, but we’re going to have to walk her you know. We only have a postage stamp square of grass back there.” His gaze shifts to mine. “City life.”
“Well, she’s used to just going on concrete. Downtown life.” I shrug.
He chuckles again and nods into the kitchen. “Come on. I was just preparing my shrimp linguini. Join us.”
If it’s a choice between dinner with the Warner/Clarke’s or me sitting around alone anticipating spending four hours in the car with Roarke tomorrow on top of an entire weekend, shrimp linguini wins.
“Thanks, I’d love to.” I follow him into the kitchen.
“You know how he knows that we’re dating, right?” He taps Victoria’s ass to slide over so he can reach the stove.
“You lawyers have your ways I’m sure,” I say.
“We have private investigators and sources.” He holds a piece of pasta in front of Victoria.
She chews it and swallows it down before giving him a chaste kiss. “Maybe a minute more.”
He nods and she continues on with what she was doing.
I watch in fascination. Truthfully, I never had this. Todd and I never prepared a meal together. We dined out almost every night when we were married. Our kitchen was only for late night snacks and when we had the occasional gathering, the caterers were the ones to take it over.
“I know he’s looked in on me before. I mean during the divorce.”
Reed places the spoon down next to the stove and turns around drying his hands on a dishtowel.
“Then I think you can expect he knows everything about you now.”
Victoria returns from where ever she went. The woman never sits down.
“Where’s the spontaneity then?” I ask.