Page 25 of A Sweet Mess

“Yeah. Sure. The only part of my body I can feel are my jaws, thanks to my chattering teeth, but otherwise, I’m swell.”

“I told you we shouldn’t camp without proper gear.” She reached out and put her hand on his cheek. His eyes widened, but she was too distracted to feel self-conscious. “Okay. Let’s thaw you out.”

Aubrey climbed over him and burrowed into the blankets. Landon stiffened, which was impressive for a block of ice. Without allowing herself to ponder his reaction, she pressed herself against his broad back and wrapped her arms around his waist. He was much too tall for her to spoon properly, but it would do. She buried her nose in the crook of his neck and tucked her hands inside his parka, flattening them across his chest.

“What are you doing, Aubrey?” His husky question rumbled against her palms.

Getting revenge?He’d succeeded in getting her hot and bothered the night before. He deserved a generous sample of sexual frustration. Aubrey grinned with devious delight. But no. She’d hardly planned this—for revenge or otherwise. He was freezing, and she wanted to share her warmth. Like a Saint Bernard but without the mini-keg of whiskey.

After a while, the tension ebbed out of his back. She breathed him in and sighed into his neck. He smelled delicious—all man, wood, and fire. Landon dug his hands into his jacket, clasping them over hers. Aubrey squeaked at the cold touch, but he tightened his grip and pulled her closer.

He thawed in her arms, and she melted against him. Aubrey refused to analyze the warmth and security the moment wrought.Happywas too simplistic a word to describe what she felt, but maybe happiness was meant to be this overwhelming.

Her smile slipped when Landon shifted and she found herself blinking into his eyes. Before she could figure out what was happening, he grasped the back of her knee and drew her leg over his hip. His hard length pressed against her stomach, and her breath caught in her throat.

He stared at her with undisguised desire, and her insides tightened in response. But when he lowered his face toward hers, her mind filled with a fog of confusion. Aubrey startled and placed her hands on his chest, but couldn’t quiet summon the will to push him away.

“Don’t,” she whispered, sounding as unsure as she felt.

Landon stopped with his lips only an inch from hers. Reckless desire gripped his features, but he slackened his hold, giving her the choice to break contact. Seconds ticked by in slow motion, and she teetered on the edge of giving in. He lay absolutely still as her eyes darted across his face, her indecision pushing toward panic.

Releasing a shuddering sigh, he kissed the top of her head and gently set her away from him. Then he pushed himself off the ground and walked out of the tent without a backward glance.

The lighthearted mood they’d shared the night before evaporated in the morning sun. They packed up early and left for their journey to Bosque Verde. The silence in the car smothered Landon like a thick blanket, heavy and suffocating. Time dragged as if it were wading through thick batter. The three-hour drive would feel like a decade if they kept this up.

Aubrey had been polite but quiet all morning, and he played along with the make-believe that nothing had happened in the tent. It was technically true. Nothing irreversible had happened.Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you can convince yourself that you’re not screwed.

Landon pretended to give the highway his undivided attention. He lounged in his seat, pushed far back to accommodate his height, and rested one hand lightly on the steering wheel. He was the picture of relaxation except for the muscle in his jaw that had been ticking nonstop for the last forty miles.

He stole a sideways glance at Aubrey, who was busy wringing her hands and worrying her lips raw. His efforts to appear nonchalant were overkill. She was lost in her thoughts and wasn’t even aware of his existence. He wanted to hold her hands still and swipe his thumb across her bruised lips. Landon doubted she’d appreciate his ministrations when she was so skittish around him.

It hit him that he had to spend weeks working with theirresistiblewoman and he had to resist her at all costs. And if thismorning was any indication, he was in serious trouble. With their careers on the line, he had to get his shit together. He refused to tarnish Aubrey’s professional reputation. His plan was about righting mistakes, not creating more. His lack of control was unacceptable. But his chances of success were so bleak, it would be funny if the cost of failure weren’t so high.

“This looks brand new.” She broke the silence so suddenly, Landon shot her a surprised glance. He raised an eyebrow—because he didn’t think he could speak without his voice breaking—then returned his gaze to the windshield. He hoped she thought he was being aloof, not nervous enough for his knees to knock together. “The Alfa Romeo. Is it new?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to your old car?”

“My old car?”

“Yeah, the one that blew a tire on the freeway?”

“Oh, that was my editor Craig’s car.” Landon shrugged. “I haven’t owned a car for almost ten years.”

“Really?” Aubrey stared at him with her nose crinkled. “Why? How did you survive in California without a car?”

“I travel eight months a year for work. It didn’t make sense for me to buy one only to have it sit in the garage.”

Aubrey nodded as though digesting the new information. “Then why did you get this one?”

“I changed my mind. It’s a damn nuisance not to have a car for the four months I’m home.” Landon smiled a little, ridiculously flattered by her attention.

“So true,” she said, her expression earnest. “And it only took you ten years to figure that out. No wonder you’re so successful.”

He burst out laughing so hard his seat belt locked and restrained him from bumping his head on the steering wheel.She grinned at his reaction, relaxing for the first time all day. They shared a brief, less stifling silence as the scenery changed outside the car.

“Maybe you want to come home,” she murmured almost to herself.

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