“Eat with me, Maddie.”
Oh goody! He was using the same tone as when he’d told me to break the rules with him that night at the Lucky Bar. I knew without either of us saying it out loud that this—our need for togetherness—was breaking yet another rule.
I seemed to be even more susceptible to him after our kiss. But the man was wearing a suit and bringing my favorite food. I could indulge in my daily session of sexy man appreciation and enjoy a burrito at the same time. How could I say no?
“Let’s go in the kitchen,” I said.
I took off my shoes before stepping inside the house and followed Landon to the kitchen. The second we entered it, I felt the walls press in on us, forcing us closer together. I was aware of Landon’s every move. He shrugged out of his suit jacket, draping it on the back of a seat. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. What the sight of those muscle-corded forearms did to me....
“I’ll get us some plates,” I offered, opening one of the overhead compartments from which I remembered Landon taking out plates last week. My memory was playing tricks because I was facing glasses.
“This is the one with the plates.” Landon came up behind me, reaching to the compartment to my right, retrieving two plates. When he lowered his arm, his elbow brushed the side of my breast. A sizzle bristled through me, stoking a fire deep inside. I felt Landon’s sharp exhale against the side of my head and realized I was gripping the counter for no reason at all. I let go as Landon stepped back, and we headed to the small kitchen table. I sat opposite Landon, careful so our legs wouldn’t touch under the table. The room seemed to have shrunk in size in the past few seconds, but I suspected any space would feel small when filled with so much sexual tension.
“So, when are you training Milo today?” I asked.
“I’m not. He’s at a friend’s house.”
“Oh, I see. What were you up to today?” I bit into my burrito, savoring the rich flavor.
“Met up with an old school friend.”
I swallowed the mouthful quickly. “You meet your friends wearing a suit?”
“Might have doubled as a business meeting, so I went business casual.”
“Which is the casual part?”
He pointed to the rolled sleeves with a smile.
“What’s the dress code for strictly business?”
“Cuff links.”
Well, I hoped I’d never be privy to that sight. Nothing spelled sex appeal like cuff links. Not every man could pull them off, but I suspected Landon wore them very well.
We chitchatted about his friend while we ate. He’d married his high-school sweetheart and they were now about to have their third child.
“That’s the fairy tale come to life, huh? Lucky them, finding each other so quickly. No kissing frogs to discover the prince... or princess.”
“Why are you still single, Maddie?”
“More than half the population is.”
“I don’t care about them. I want to know about you.” Landon rested his elbows on the table, a twinkle in his eye. “Come on, you know all my deep, dark secrets. Share some of your own.”
“Well, technically Val told me all of yours.”
“So you prefer I ask her?” he challenged, luring chuckles out of me.
“I don’t have any deep, dark reasons for being single. I came close to getting married to that ex I told you about, the one I moved to LA for.”
“What happened?”
I felt his gaze on me as I bit into my burrito again, chewing carefully.
“He was an architect too. We studied together. He specialized in buildings, I in landscape. He was very successful. All that success turned him into an ass. He was working on a lot of high-profile buildings, even worked with Warner Bros. on a few movie sets. He got snippier with me as time went by, making snide remarks here and there. I thought it was just all the stress from work getting to him. Turns out he just thought I was beneath him.”
“What?”