Page 15 of Can't Help Falling in Love
“That is an excellent bottle of wine,” he said, gesturing with a chin nod.
She glanced down at it, tilted it to see the label. “Really?” Wine wasn’t her thing but maybe she was better at choosing than she thought.
“Not at all but it’ll get you nice and drunk if that’s what you’re after.”
Despite the bouncy-ball feeling in her stomach, he’d made her laugh. Again. And that felt good. She didn’t do a whole lot of it these days and it was strange to realize she missed it. She met his gaze. “Maybe I’ll hang on to it and see how the night goes.”
“Good plan. You should have brought a bigger purse. Stashed it inside.” He shook his head with a mock frown, like she’d let him down by not thinking ahead.
“I clearly didn’t think that all the way through,” she said, falling into step beside him as they crossed the quiet street. Both sides were lined with elegant, new-looking family homes. No fixer-uppers here. The house was a two-story Colonial with more windows along the front than Lexi’s whole house had.
“You lookreallygood,” he said.
His emphasis on the wordreallymade her heart and stomach spasm in tandem. So did the way his eyes roamed over the high-waisted black jeans that she’d paired with a slightly bulky, off-the-shoulder dark-green sweater. She didn’t run the way she used to but she kept in shape, and thanks to yoga her arms and shoulders were sleek. Will’s obvious appreciation made her happy she hadn’t bothered with a jacket even with the bite in the air.
Stopping at the start of the cobblestone path leading up to the door, Lexi tipped her head back to look up at him. “So do you. Really good. This is a strange not-date date, isn’t it?”
He nodded, firming up those full, alluring lips. “We don’t have to label it.” His lips twitched. “But should you give me a little background? If we’re supposedly together for the night, they might think we know something about each other.”
She pursed her lips again. An age-old habit she’d shared with her dad. When her dad was sorting through something, he’d always push his lips together, twist them side to side. Her mom would see and pop over to kiss him. Said he was asking for it. Lexi flattened her lips.
“Hmm. Okay. Fast five. I’m twenty-five, a former track star, current waitress slash Dress Hut manager. I’ve worked there since high school so I’ve come a long way, baby. I live in Astrid Park and my favorite color is amaranth.”
“You made that last thing up.”
She held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
His brows lowered. How could eyebrows be sexy? “You definitely weren’t a Scout.”
She laughed. “It’s a shade of reddish pink. It’s unique and beautiful. Your turn.”
“Fine. But only because we’ll draw attention if we don’t go in soon. Thirty. Played varsity basketball. I’m the financial officer at my work. Worked my way up since high school so we have that in common. What color would you say Lay’s potato chips are? That’s my favorite color.”
Letting out a snort-laugh embarrassed her but he didn’t seem to mind. “That should cover it. What else could real couples possibly know about each other?”
He grinned before they walked side by side, the backs of their fingers brushing, to the door. “I can’t think of anything.”
His easy acquiescence and humor dulled some of her nerves. Will used the brass knocker, which was nestled in the middle of an oversized wreath with a variety of leaves in different shades of red, yellow, and orange. Little acorns and pinecones were tucked into the foliage. Within seconds, Jackie opened the door. She wore a pale-blue silk top with a strand of pearls around her neck. Her hair was up in an elegant chignon and her linen pants, like Will’s jeans, showed not one wrinkle.This is what perfection looks like.
Before Lexi could dwell too much on that, a tall, dark-haired, dark-skinned man came to Jackie’s side. His eyes were a different brown than Will’s. If she were poetic, she’d call them dreamy. And his smile? Those straight white teeth, the easy curve of his lips, he could be a mouth model. Was that a thing? Great. Not enough that Jackie O was beautiful, well off, and successful, but she was marrying a movie-star-handsome man with shoulders wide enough to block the doorway.
Jackie squealed. “You came!”
Will nudged her forward by touching his hand to the small of herback, and instead of focusing on how all of her nerve endings suddenly moved beneath his palm, she listened to his smooth reply. “Of course. We appreciated the invite.”
Not a slouch in the looks department himself and quick with responses, her not-a-date date surprised her again with his ability to roll with what Lexi threw at him. She wasn’t looking for a picket fence and babies but there was a lot of room to play between whatever tonight was and that destination.
“Honey, this is my high school bestie, Lexi, and her sweet fiancé, Will.”
Will’s and Lexi’s gazes locked. It was a toss-up whose eyes went wider.That escalated quickly.She bit her lip, her brain tumbling with responses. When she shrugged, he mimicked her and increased the pressure of his hand on her back, heightening her awareness of him even as the touch calmed her heart rate. Weird.
“This ismyfiancé, Nigel. Please, come in. Lexi, you didn’t have to bring anything.”
They stepped back, revealing a gorgeous curved staircase in the center of the chandelier-lit foyer. Laughter and conversation floated from the back of the house. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla wafted in the air like the music that played softly.
“It’s really nice to meet you both,” Nigel said, shaking Will’s hand then Lexi’s before taking the bottle from her. He didn’t even glance at the label, which was probably a good thing.
A nervous kind of energy vibrated over her skin. She recognized it from her track days. Before meets, her body had buzzed in exhilaration. She loved that feeling. Craved it. Now she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it. How to channel it. Or how to ignore it.
