Page 69 of Without a Hitch
“Gah! Lochlan! You really need to get a grip. Most people have a personal space bubble, and you keep crossing boundaries.”
I release her arm but stay close by as she walks into the penthouse. “You make me insane,” I grumble, and I can feel her smile before she shows it.
“I wasn’t going to come, but the girls convinced me it would be rude not to show up.”
Girls? Who gets her time?
“What girls? And I think I like them.” I force a wobbly smile, thankful she’s not paying me much attention. She unsettles me. If I’m honest, it’s not just my smile that’s wobbly when she’s nearby.
“My sister and my roommates. Eli, Hadley, and Delaney. They’re my tribe.”
“Your tribe? Like family?”
She takes a seat at the table set for two, not at all shy about opening the silver serving trays that cover every breakfast item on the menu. “Yeah. I’ve basically been an orphan since I was a child, so my sisters and friends are who I count on. They’re the ones I go to when a sexy stranger demands my time.”
A low rumble vibrates inside my chest. “We’re not exactly strangers, Tilly.”
“Knowing each other sexually is not the same as knowing each other.”
“I agree. That’s why I have a proposition for you.”
A scowl forms on her beautiful face. Shit. That came out wrong. She stands, but I grasp her wrist and pull her to my side before she can escape.
“Not that kind of proposition, you dirty, dirty girl,” I growl, close enough to her ear that her scent fills my nostrils. There seems to be a direct link between Tilly and my dick because the second I smell lilacs, he attempts to rise like one of those waving balloon men at car dealerships. My trousers push him back, and I adjust my stance.
“You’re lucky I’m starving,” she huffs, pulling away and sitting back down.
“I want to get to know you, Tilly.”
“To what end, lover?”
The nickname rankles. I know she’s using it to put distance between us.
“I’m serious,” I bark.
She takes a piece of bacon from the serving tray and places it between her lips. My gaze catches on her mouth. She chews slowly, like she’s playing with me, and when I finally break free from her spell, I find she is. Her dark eyes sparkle with naughtiness.
The twinkle vanishes as quickly as it came though, and she looks at her lap. Her shoulders slump forward, appearing weary. I fucking hate it.
“To what end?” she repeats without making eye contact.
“I’m sorry?”
“Get to know me why? I need the happy ending, Lochlan. I need it like the air I breathe. We fundamentally want different things. Getting to know you more can only end in disaster for me.”
“I disagree.” My heart rate accelerates like I’ve been sprinting in a marathon. My palms sweat as I grow increasingly uncomfortable. Worry that she’ll leave has my mind running blank, and not even tugging on my vest eases the ache in my chest.
“How can you disagree? I want to get married. I want to have children someday. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with someone I haven’t even spent an entire day with. Lochlan, this is ludicrous.”
“Then spend time with me. We can be friends.”
“Lover, even your eyes fuck me from across the room. There’s no way we can be just friends.”
My body reacts to her sassy lips, but I shake away the lust. “Help me out here, Tilly. Compromise, something.” With a start, I recognize the desperation in my own voice. I’m not sure I’ve ever been desperate for anything in my life.
“I’m Tilly now? What happened to Pepper?”
“You’re still peppery, fiery. But I don’t know. I like Tilly better. Abby didn’t fit.” I shrug off my unexpected insecurities. “I can’t explain it, and you’re stalling. Get to know me, then decide about where things go.”
