Page 127 of Surprisingly Us

I give him a wide-eyed stare. “You know.”

“I’m not sure which sound you’re specifically referring to. I’ll make it again so you can clarify.” His eyes widen in challenge, as his mouth opens to take another bite.

I grab the cupcake from him and take the last bite. It’s either that or listen to him make moaning sex noises in public. He attempts to look outraged, but I think he secretly likes that I ate it.

He walks me down the block to my apartment, and I let us inside the downstairs foyer.

“We should do this again sometime,” I say casually, doing my best to practice giving off chill girl dating vibes like he’s instructed me to do.

“Tomorrow?” he asks eagerly and a laugh nearly bursts past my lips. He might need a little work on his chill guy dating vibes.

“I’ve got plans at Hunter and Sophie’s tomorrow night.”

“Like dinner?” He asks.

I’m about to confess it’s to babysit their twin girls, but I hold back. I decide I’ll use his eagerness to hang out to my advantage.

“Yeah. Do you want to come?”

“You bet. What time?”

“Six.”

“Cool. I’ll pick you up.”

“Sounds good.”

He starts down the stairs, but I call out after him.

“If you want to bring Mo over to hang out with Maxine tomorrow while we’re gone, I know she’d like that.”

“Yeah?” He smiles at the thought.

I nod. “Yeah, she’s been missing him, too.”

CHAPTER 37

Rhys

All I want to do right now is relax with Lettie on the couch with the cats curled up beside us, but we’ve got dinner at Hunter and Sophie’s tonight. A dinner party, even if it’s with friends, is the last thing I want to do. But, if Lettie’s going to be there, then that’s where I’m going to be.

Hunter opens the door and immediately envelops Lettie into a hug.

“Thank you for doing this,” Hunter says, guiding us into the entryway of the penthouse.

“Of course.” Lettie bounces excitedly. “We wouldn’t miss the opportunity.”

I give Hunter a nod, but he pulls me in for a quick hug, too. I have to admit it feels good to be welcomed back into this friend group. I know it’s because of my relationship with Lettie, but spending time with Hunter, James, Barrett, and Griffin has been cool. When Hunter releases me, I hand him the bottle of wine I brought.

“Thank you for having us.”

Chuckling, he takes the bottle of wine. “You might not be saying that by the end of the night. They’re a handful.”

“They?” I turn to question Lettie, but she’s already slipped off her shoes and disappeared down the hallway.

“Come on,” Hunter says, waving me to follow him.

We step into the kitchen where Hunter pulls two wine glasses from the beverage center and sets them on the counter.

---