Page 91 of Sweet Temptation
“Hey, do you think you can do me a favor and go pick up a bottle of Chambord?” I looked up into his eyes. “I’m making these special cocktails for the party, and I feel like getting the liquor here is key to the success of the event.”
He didn’t reply. But he was studying me like he was trying to read between the lines of that, to what I wasn’t coming right out and saying.
“I need someone I can trust on the task,” I added. “We need Cointreau, too. I’m out, and we have to make Cosmos.”
“Do you?”
“Definitely. And,” I confessed, “I think I need to not be around you twenty-four-seven.”
He looked at me for a long moment… and there it was. The lines of his face softened with compassion.
And damn, that look could really do a girl in.
I looked away.
“I’ll go get it,” he said. “As soon as one of my guys gets here to cover for me.”
“Great.”
I hesitated, almost chickening out. But then I dug into the pocket of my jacket and fished out the spare garage door opener. I held it out to him. “You can park your bike in the garage when you get back.”
He looked at the door opener, then took it, slowly.
“I mean, if you want to,” I added. His eyes met mine and I shrugged. “It’s October. It’s gonna rain eventually.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” I smiled a little. “Would it be pushing it to ask you to hit a dispensary, too? We need weed.”
He actually rolled his eyes a bit. “Fine.”
I hopped a little. “Yay! I’ll give you a list of what we want.”
Then I ran back into the house, and I could’ve sworn I felt him smiling behind my back.
Chapter Twelve
Ronan
The next day I was awake early, though not as early as usual. Somewhere around seven-thirty I was up and ready to get to work.
I found Summer’s kitchen and living room a mess in the aftermath of last night’s party, but her cleaning lady showed up at eight o’clock, right on time. I let her in when she knocked and gave her the new key. I’d already had my team run a quick check on her, and I’d talked to her on the phone to fill her in on the new drill.
She was friendly and amenable, and seemed genuinely concerned about Summer’s safety. And she did indeed sing while she washed the dishes. I could hear her from my room.
I hadn’t heard anything from Summer yet this morning, but she didn’t seem to be much of a morning person. And no wonder, given the nocturnal life she seemed to lead.
I hadn’t gotten much sleep myself. The party went late and I’d stayed up, watching over things until the last guest left around three a.m.. As did Summer.
And Andre.
I’d let him go once the house cleared out, and he’d pretty much begged me to “find out which of Summer’s hot friends might need a bodyguard” and get him the gig.
“It doesn’t work that way,” I’d told him as I was nudging him out the door.
“Since when? Just slip them some cards. You never know who might call, needing her body guarded.” That statement was punctuated with an eyebrow waggle.
“I’m not assigning you to a client you’ve got a crush on,” I informed him.