“
How did you know where I live?” Deanna asked when he turned onto her street.
“I run by here on my way to the gym. I’ve seen you a few times.” That was the absolute truth. He did run by on his way to the gym. And he’d seen her a few times.
He’d also asked around and known where to look.
“Oh, okay.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I don’t think that’s the whole story.”
Normally, being caught in a partial truth wouldn’t have been high up on the list of things Lucky liked, but the fact that she knew, or at least had a feeling, that he wasn’t being totally forthright made him happy. He liked that she had called him out.
“I may have asked Sue Ann, Nikki, and then finally Lauren, who hooked me up with my rental, if anyone knew where you were staying.” He smiled the smile that usually got him out of the stickiest of spots. He called it “old faithful.”
And it didn’t let him down.
A smile spread across Deanna’s face even as she was shaking her head. “Jessie’s right. You’re not as cute as you think you are.”
“Does that mean you think I’m cute?”
“I think you’re trouble.” She blushed as her hand reached for the door. “Goodnight.”
“What?” he asked, purposely sounding offended. “You’re not even going to ask if I want to come in for coffee?”
She stared at the door handle and licked her lips, which made his solider stand at attention. With only the moonlight streaming in through the window, he could tell by her hesitancy that she was battling an internal war of whether or not she should.
He waited. Though he wanted to use his charms to give her a gentle, or not so gentle, shove in the direction of green-light-go, he didn’t want her to do anything she didn’t want to. So, as much as it killed him to know that, within a few sentences, he could have her laughing and inviting him in, he remained quiet.
After inhaling deeply through her nose, she opened the door, and his heart sank as his balls turned bluer than a Smurf.
He smiled up at her to hide his discomfort and disappointment. He would walk her to the door, but he didn’t trust himself to be that close to her and not touch her or kiss her or do a lot of other things he’d been dying to do to her. Things he knew she wanted and, with a little encouragement, would be begging for.
But that’s not how he wanted this to be. Not with her. She was too special. This was too special.
“Goodnight. Thank you for coming with me today. You were great with the kids. They loved you. I…” He stopped himself.
Had he been about to say that he loved her?
No.
Maybe?
Shit.
He didn’t have time to think about that. Trying to play it off, he finished his thought, “I really loved having you there.”
A small grin pulled at her lips. “Fine. You can come in for coffee.”
He didn’t need to be asked twice. He was out of the SUV and beside her so fast that it made her laugh.
“Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll come in, but only because you asked so nicely.”
She was still chuckling and shaking her head at him—which she did a lot—as they made their way up to the door.
Once she’d opened it, he stepped inside. Small and cozy, it smelled like clean and fresh, just like Deanna. A small couch rested against the far wall, and a longer one, with a knit blanket thrown over it, was near the window. A flat screen television was on the wall opposite the larger couch, and a small fireplace took up one corner.
Lucky could picture Deanna curled up on the couch, in sweats with her hair pulled up, showcasing her sexy neck, the fire roaring as she watched television. At the thought, the same word that continued to pop up in his mind made an appearance.
Mine.
“Do you want decaf or…” she asked over her shoulder as she closed the door.
“Oh, I don’t want coffee, but thanks.” He grinned and took a step closer to her.
Stepping back, she was flat against the door. Then she pointed accusatorily at him. “You said you wanted coffee.”
“No. I didn’t.
”
”