Her Irresistible Troublemaker (A Town Named Eden Book 3) (8 page)

“I… I didn’t bring anything.”

“That’s okay. My place is well-stocked and if I’m missing something, I can always run out and get it.”

She dug deeper for the excuses that had been dancing around the tip of her tongue but they’d scuttled away, probably because they knew they didn’t stand a chance of sounding half as convincing as she expected them to.

“It’s really bad form to pay someone a visit and come empty-handed.” Her mother had taught her that.

Jack looked at her both frowning and smiling at the same time.

Lexie had no trouble imagining him seeing her standing right in the middle of one of her cartoon strips, a thought bubble hovering above her with way too many exclamation marks.

When he spoke, he sounded cautious. “Lexie, I’m a guy and that sort of detail only occurs to women. But if it’s going to make you feel uncomfortable, how about you bring something next time you come over.”

Next time? “You really don’t find this weird?”

“You standing on my doorstep and refusing to come in?”

“Me being here.”

“I invited you and lured you with the promise of pizza, beer and popcorn. And let’s not forget the mutual benefit of getting people off our backs.” He closed his eyes briefly then opened them again. “Lexie. It’s a casual, stay at home movie night.”

With no strings, no expectations and definitely no aspirations. But there would be plenty of regrets if she didn’t pull herself together.

After spending a year with her nose pressed hard to the grindstone, she deserved some time out. Also, as difficult as it was to admit, she’d been living vicariously, enjoying Lulu McGee’s adventures, so her rusty dating skills could do with some practice. Sure, this wouldn’t lead to anything romantic, but she was at least spending time with someone of the opposite sex.

“Lexie, I’m sure you can watch the movie from the doorway, but the couch will be more comfortable.”

She tore her eyes away from him and surveyed the lay of the land. The lion’s lair, she thought, knowing this lion wouldn’t be purring or roaring tonight. Although, if she kept this up he might manage a big lion yawn.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”

“You’re making it sound like the ultimate challenge or sacrifice.”

“Exactly how much experience do you have being a platonic friend?”

“I have stepsisters. But they don’t really count, so you’re actually my first.”

“So you’ve never hung out with someone you’re not the least bit interested in.”

He nodded. Far too quickly, she couldn’t help noticing.

Again, he could not have been clearer. He wasn’t interested.  “I suppose it shouldn’t be any different to getting together with one of my girlfriends.”

The edge of his lip kicked up. “I’ll abstain from answering, at least until I know what you normally get up to or talk about with your girlfriends.” He chuckled. “Are you any closer to deciding if you’re going to come in?”

“Nice apartment.” Before she could do a thorough job of looking and sounding like a half crazed woman, she took a decisive step inside. “Very brown and black. No mistaking the fact a man lives here.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.”

She turned and looked out the large floor to ceiling window. “Wow. As in… Wow. That is a serious view. An uninterrupted view.” He only needed to cross the street to be on the beach.

“Thank you, but I had nothing to do with it. It was there when I moved in.”

“Given our recent history, I think I’ll refrain from making further comments.”

He handed her a take-out menu. “We should order that pizza now and while we wait, decide which movie to watch.”

“This is a load off my mind. I worried you might turn out to be one of those closet gourmet cooks who can whip up—” She stopped and drew in a breath.

“It sounds like you did a lot of worrying before coming tonight.”

“It took me a while to work through a few hurdles,” she admitted.

“Nothing too serious, I hope.”

“Well, not really. After all, here I am—”

“About to sit down in front of the seriously large TV.” He strode away and when he returned he handed her an ice-cold beer. “Think of this as the date you have when you’re not having a date. It’s what you wanted.”

Since when did she know what she wanted? “You know what? I can go with the flow.” And she could go easy on herself, sit down, eat some pizza, watch a movie and not worry about making a positive impression. He’d never know she’d spent two hours deciding what to wear or that she’d made a last minute dash to the hairdresser.

“Do you want to start again?”

She cringed. “Please, no. I’d rather put the last few minutes behind us and get on with the pizza and movie.” She sank down on the edge of the sofa and slid back. “Wow, this is seriously comfortable.”

Chapter Eight

“Size does matter. I love your big screen TV.”

“You’re easily pleased.” Jack had almost forgotten he wasn’t alone. Apart from the brief discussion about which pizza to order and which movie to watch, Lexie hadn’t said much and now she’d waited until the final credits had rolled on before speaking.

“This is going down as the best stay-at-home movie night I’ve ever had. Usually I have to listen to an ongoing commentary of the movie not to mention the endless requests for intermission time.” Lexie had stuck to her one beer and had managed to absently nibble her way through half the pizza. And, to add the proverbial cherry on top, she liked science fiction movies. Who would have guessed his sexy lingerie wearing troublemaker would turn out to be a science fiction fan?

Jack took a deep drink of his beer and tried to erase the image of Lexie in her underwear. The boundaries had been defined. The line drawn on the sand. Barriers erected. Lexie wasn’t interested and… and neither was he. “You’re the perfect movie night guest.”

She stretched and yawned. “Thank you for noticing. I take my movie experience very seriously and prefer to watch without interruptions, but now that it’s over, I’ll excuse myself and have a bathroom break.”

That gave him a few minutes to do some quick thinking. He could try denying it, but the idea of asking Lexie as his date for his father’s wedding reception had been hovering in the back of his mind since Mason had reminded him of the perils they faced whenever they acquired a new stepsister. Lexie would be a perfect date. She’d be...

She’d be unpredictable.

Jack sat back and stared at the ceiling. He knew next to nothing about her.

Okay. He hadn’t thought this through properly, but he really didn’t need to. Lexie had already told him she wasn’t interested in a relationship. Had that been a ruse? He chewed on the inside of his lip.

There’d been that awkward, puzzling moment when she’d arrived, but despite her initial hesitation she’d relaxed and settled into their stay-at-home date without any further problems. And he was sure she’d enjoyed herself. He’d bet anything the moment he asked her to be his date she’d jump at the chance to dress up and go out, and he’d call himself all types of fool for letting doubt interfere.

It really shouldn’t be this difficult and he couldn’t understand why he was complicating something that, as a reasonably confident man, should come second nature to him. As Mason had pointed out, he hadn’t asked anyone out on a date in months, but that didn’t mean he’d forgotten how it was done.

He told himself to go with the flow. He’d come straight out with it and ask if she’d be interested in going with him as his plus one. No strings. No worries.

“Please tell me you have a cleaning lady who comes in every day.” She strode back into the sitting room and sat next to him, leaving a gap between them on the sofa without making it too obvious.

“A couple of times a week. Why?”

“Apart from everything being spotless, there’s no clutter. It puts me to shame. My place is clean but I always cave in to impulse purchases, especially pencils. I love how they look so perfectly sharpened when they’re out of the box new—” She gestured with her hands. “It’s one of my quirks.”

“Actually, this is one of my renovation jobs and I’m not sure how long I want to live here, so I haven’t acquired too much clutter. I suppose you think it’s lacking in personal touches.”

“Let me guess, it’s all in storage.”

He shrugged. “I’ve never really been into collecting stuff.”

“Sporting trophies?”

“I play a good game of golf and enjoy kicking a football around but I’ve never played competitive team sports.”

“Family photos?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “The place wouldn’t be big enough to house those.”

“So you come from a large family.”

“An ever expanding one,” he admitted. “My father’s been married a few times. In fact, he recently married for the fifth time, and he has a knack for staying sweet with his ex-wives, so they never fade into the background.”

“He must be a charmer.”

“Coffee?”

“Did I hit a raw nerve or are you telling me it’s time to go home?”

“I’m suggesting it’s time for an after dinner drink such as coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Talking about my father at the moment is not exactly my favorite pastime. Mason insists we need to throw a wedding reception for him.”

“And you don’t agree?”

He shrugged. “It defeats the purpose of eloping.”

She nodded as if in understanding. “Is that what you were talking about earlier today with your brother?”

“I was mostly listening. Mason’s like a dog with a chew bone at the moment. It’s not so bad because it means he has my back and vice versa. Between us, we manage to end up doing the right thing.”

“But you’re not happy about your father’s latest marriage.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. I’m happy for him, but it’s a little complicated. Actually, while we’re on the subject…”

“Are you going to ask me to marry you?”

He tried to match her straight face look but couldn’t hold back the laughter. “No, we’re not quite there.” He shoved his hands inside his pockets and squared his shoulders. “How do you feel about taking the next step and having a public fake date?” The words spilled out, unchecked but fairly consistent with what they’d been talking about. Although, he suspected Lexie would smell a rat or at least, an ulterior motive for his impulsive invitation to watch a movie.

“As opposed to a private fake date?”

She held his gaze and Jack felt an overwhelming need to reassure her, of what, he had no idea.

“I didn’t really think of tonight as a date, but I suppose it could be defined as one.” Although, if he had to be completely honest with himself, he’d asked her over because he hadn’t wanted to spend the night thinking about Lexie in her apartment or out with someone else. Jack took another drink of his beer and tried to ignore the epiphany still hovering in his mind.

She gave him an impish grin. “And how would you rate it so far?”

He laughed. “Okay. Let’s bring out the scorecards. I’ll rate you if you rate me. Are you up for it?”

“Hmm, that depends.”

“On?”

“Your hot chocolate making skills.”

“They’re exceptional, but I’ll let you be the judge.” He jumped to his feet and strode over to the kitchen. “Come and watch me prepare a life enhancing experience for you.” He pulled out a kitchen stool for her to sit on and set about finding the ingredients for the hot chocolate.

“If you impress me, I’ll say yes to the date.”

Jack felt a spark of relief. Digging around his kitchen cupboard, he wondered if the spark had been something else. Excitement? Anticipation? “The wedding reception will be a semi formal affair—”

She drummed her hands on the kitchen bench. “Getting ahead of yourself?”

“I’m confident. I’ve got this in the bag.”

“I should warn you, I’m a hot chocolate connoisseur.”

“And I worked my way through school as a barista.”

“Is that your secret weapon?”

He nodded. He had his back to her, but would swear she was gobbling him up. Giving himself a mental prod, Jack focused on making the best cup of hot chocolate he knew how.

“So what’s my score?” she asked.

“It depends.”

“On whether or not I agree to your invitation?”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry, I won’t let that influence me.” He poured milk into a saucepan and broke off a generous amount of dark Belgian chocolate. “Okay, here goes. On a scale of one to ten,” he turned and leaned against the counter, “Don’t let this go to your head, but I’m giving you a score of nine.”

Her lower lip jutted out. “Did I lose a point for hesitating at your doorstep?”

“No, that was entertaining.” Every woman he’d ever known would have ceased the moment, using the opportunity to showcase their best qualities. Lexie’s hesitation had reminded him she wasn’t interested in playing the mating game. “I’ll amend the score after you’ve tasted my hot chocolate.”

“So it could go either way.”

He nodded and turned his focus to stirring the chocolate into the milk. “Your turn.”

“Well, I’ve never had a better host. You let me pick the movie and the pizza and now you’re treating me to what promises to be the best hot beverage I’ve ever had. So I’ll match your score. And before you complain about not getting a perfect ten, you should know I strongly believe there should always be room for improvement.”

“Fair enough.”

* * *

Lexie rested her elbows on the island kitchen bench and cupped her chin in her hands. Her earlier hesitation had been long forgotten and now all she could think about was how relaxed she felt around Jack.

Then again, she’d felt relaxed around him from the moment she’d opened her front door to him a few days before. Somehow, she’d fallen in step with him and that made her wonder why someone like him was still single.

While she was itching to ask him, she decided he was between girlfriends as opposed to not being the type to settle into a relationship. That alternative, Lexie decided, might put her off him. She didn’t want to think of him as being cynical or selfish, or worse, broken-hearted. Although that would make sense. After all, she’d been shattered by her previous experience and had deliberately cut herself off from the dating scene.

Why not come straight out and ask him? Because… she risked coming across as fishing for an opening and she’d already made it clear she wasn’t out to land herself a boyfriend… that’s why…

“Are you okay there?” he asked.

“What? Yes… why do you ask?”

“You looked like you were having a private conversation.”

“Was I talking out loud? I do that sometimes.”

“No. But there was a bit of head tilting and frowning. I have a sister who does that all the time, then she says something that sounds like the tail end of a conversation she’s been having in her head.”

Lexie felt her cheeks flush. “I’ll admit there might have been a bit of mental dialogue going on. But nothing you should concern yourself with.”

“Okay.” He set a mug in front of her. “Here we go. My reputation is at your mercy. Sorry, I don’t have any marshmallows but I put some chocolate shavings in.” He stepped back and leaned against the opposite kitchen counter, his eyes dancing around her face.

It only took one sip to decide she wanted to marry his hot chocolate. Her taste buds sprung alive with a chorus line of approval and appreciation.

Lexie smacked her lips together. “I’m not even going to ask what your secret is. Some things should remain a mystery and I’m hoping to enjoy many more hot chocolates made by you.” Lexie expected him to laugh or make some sort of celebratory gesture, but instead he stepped forward and leaned on the counter, looking at her as if lost in thought.

“You can add three quarters to your score.” Taking another sip, she forgot about Jack watching her and lost herself in the heavenly taste of chocolate with a hint of chili.

“Thank you.” He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “So will you come with me?”

“I’m assuming it’ll be an extension of tonight.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’re going to have to explain that to me.”

“Well, there’s something no-nonsense straightforward about you. I’m not sure you’d be comfortable trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, so you’ll more than likely stick as close as possible to the truth and introduce me as your friend.”

“Interesting.”

“Am I right?”

“I hadn’t actually thought about it, but I like your thinking.”

“That’s because it makes you look good.” She grinned over her cup. “Honest with a pinch of integrity.”

“Only a pinch?”

His wounded look made her shake with laughter. “No man is perfect.” Although, at the moment she thought he came close to it, then again, chocolate made her biased. She savored the last of her drink and sighing, set the mug down. “That has to be the very best I’ve ever had. It’s made me all warm and tingly inside.”

“Would you like another one?”

“No thanks. I never have seconds. Somehow, the first drink always tastes the best and I don’t want to spoil the anticipation of the next one.” She watched him wash the mug and wipe down the kitchen counter without making a big deal of the fact she enjoyed watching the play of sinewy muscles on his forearms. “I’m guessing there’s a reason why you can’t go alone.”

He shook his head as if trying to dislodge a stray thought. “Spot on. If I go alone, chances are I’ll be partnered with my new stepsister and that could get complicated. I’m speaking from experience as I have five of them. Two are twins.”

“I see. It all begins to make sense now. You need a buffer.” She could do that.

“You won’t even have to pretend to be interested in me.”

“But it would help.”

He gave her a brisk smile. “I won’t argue with that. I haven’t met my new stepmother, but if she’s anything like the others, then she’ll try her best to set me up with her daughter.”