Page 48 of RomeAntically Challenged
This time when he looked at her, she didn’t feel silly or embarrassed. She felt understood and,oh boy, wasthatsexy. And suddenly she was okay being boring—preferred it, in fact.
“So who bought them,” he went on. “A boyfriend?”
That’s all it took. One line and he was back to annoying. Oh, he was still sexy, just not to her. “My mom. She gives me a bottle for every holiday.”
“The same mom you’re avoiding?”
“I sound awful when you say it that way.”
“Awful is a cabinet full of that wine. If she brought me that, I’d avoid her too.”
“She really isn’t that bad. She just likes what she likes,” Annie said.
Emmitt studied her for a long moment, and Annie felt her face flush. “And because you’re her kid, she thinks you should like it too?”
Annie shrugged. “The wine isn’t horrible, and it gives her one more thing in common with me that she can tell her friends about. So that’s the wine story. Moving on.”
“Does your boyfriend like the wine?”
She laughed. “You don’t give up. And no, you already know I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Just double-checking. That would have been awkward. You living with me while having a boyfriend. Imagine the rumorsthatwould start.”
“I’m not living with you. We’re roommates.” She took the cart back and picked up her speed. “Temporary roommates. Nothing more.”
“We’re temporary roommates who know what the other looks like naked.”
“I wasn’t naked. I was in my undergarments.”
“Undergarments are cotton and don’t fall into the thong or cheeky cut category.” Her speed did nothing to deter him. He merely sped up, tossing marshmallows in her cart. “Now for some graham crackers and chocolate. Then we can discuss the finer points of undergarments around the firepit while making s’mores.”
“I hate marshmallows.”
“Chocolate sauce is fine too.”
“We are not making s’mores.” In with the chocolate sauce. Milk chocolate—the jerk was playing dirty. “This is not a pajama party.”
“So it’s a PJs-optional kind of event.” He shrugged and slid his sunglasses back on, as if he were big stuff and they were in Hollywood. “I can hang. Pillow fight later?”
Chapter 13
“Did you know in some cultures, putting groceries away with someone is a form of foreplay,” Emmitt said, unlocking the front door and flicking on the lights.
“In my house, it was called being helpful,” Annie said, not even sparing him a glance as she walked past him into the kitchen.
She set her bags on the counter and began emptying them in categories. Frozen foods first, then dairy, canned, dry. Even the produce was quickly divided into fruits and vegetables before going into the proper bins.
He plucked an apple out of Goldilocks’s little hands, taking a big bite when she reached out to grab it back, intrigued when her lips went plump as she frowned.
“That’s for the salad,” she said, giving him a little shove. “If you plan on eating the ingredients, there won’t be anything left to make a meal.”
Sweet, bossy, and stubborn. Quite an unexpected pairing.
“Well, in my house”—he grabbed two stemmed glasses and a bottle of wine from the bag, then placed them on the table—“guests enjoy a glass of wine while I prepare the food.”
She sent him an amused look. “You’re going to cook? For me?”
“Some women find that romantic.”
