“You can help, but my grandma’s recipe is a secret.” A smile played at the corners of her lips. “And I need to run home first so I can change.”
“You’re on.” I offered her my arm, and we made our way toward the back door.
She stepped into the parking lot. “Hey, wait a sec. You don’t even have a car here, do you?”
I held up a keyring. I’d managed to convince one of the security guards to loan me his car for the night. “I’ve got it all under control.”
“Which one is it?” She shivered.
Good question. In my excitement to get my hands on a vehicle, I hadn’t even asked. The key fob had a big H on it, so I assumed it must be a Honda. “Give me just a minute.”
“You have no idea, do you?” She let out a laugh.
I held the key ring up and clicked on the lock button. Sooner or later, one of the cars in the parking lot would flash its lights or give me a beep to let me know what I was looking for.
“I’m working on it.” I headed down a half-empty row. A beep sounded on my left. No, that couldn’t be right.
“This is a first.” Britt stepped between two cars to head toward the minivan with the flashing lights. “I don’t have any friends who drive minivans.”
My cheeks heated. An eight-passenger minivan complete with one, no, make that two car seats. Nothing like throwing me off my game before I even got started. I jogged ahead of Britt to beat her to the passenger door.
“Let me get that for you.” I pulled the door open. At least the interior wasn’t trashed.
“Thanks.” She ducked under my arm and slid onto the seat.
* * *
Britt
“Doyou want to wait out here, or would you rather come up?” I chewed on my bottom lip while I waited for Shane to respond. I didn’t want to be rude, but I’d really rather he didn’t come in. I’d left my place looking like a tornado had torn through. In reality, it had only been Abby trying to find me the perfect outfit to wear.
He shifted into park. “I’ll come up if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” I lied. I might have avoided stopping at home if Abby had let me wear the flats I’d intended instead of the sandals that pinched my toes and had rubbed a couple of blisters on both feet.
I could feel Shane’s gaze on my ass as I climbed the stairs to my apartment. He was about to see my tendency toward chaos on full display. Too late to turn back now. He’d be gone in a few hours, anyway. I shoved the key in the lock, but my fingers shook too hard to actually turn it.
“Let me?” He stepped close, his hand closing over mine.
Shivers raced up and down my arms at the contact. The key turned, and he pushed the door open. Neither of us moved.
I’d been fighting the way my body reacted to his all day. The natural thing for him to do would be to let his hand fall away from mine, step into my apartment, and close the door behind us.
Instead, he put his other arm around me, drawing me against him. My back connected with his front, and the scruff on his chin brushed against my neck.
My breath hitched in my throat even as I drew in his scent. The same muskiness I’d smelled before rolled off him. I didn’t recognize the scent, but that didn’t stop my body from reacting to the combination of warmth from his embrace and the rich, spicy smell that filled my nose. My pulse ticked up. His exhale tickled the exposed skin at my neck.
“You don’t have to invite me in,” he mumbled against my neck.
I knew that. I also knew what would probably happen if I did. I’d been trying to keep myself from imagining how it would feel to spend a night with him since the moment we met. Abby was right. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I pushed the door open with my foot and turned around. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled his head close to mine. “I want you to come in.”
He slid one hand up my back, cradling my head in his palm. The other tightened around my waist and we stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like a lifetime.
Then his lips touched mine. My whole world tilted on its axis, spinning out of control. His lips were firm but soft, an intoxicating combination. With his scent washing over me, his hands on my skin, and his lips on my mouth, my senses overloaded. I gripped his shoulders to keep my knees from buckling.
“You okay?”