road. There. That wasn’t so hard, right?
They drove in sufficiently comfortable silence, only stopping once for an In-N-Out Burger and restroom break. Her animal-style cheeseburger—with extra melted cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and dressing—was messy, juicy heaven. Their conversation was on the bland side but not too weird. Comfortable was good. Bland was great. All she’d needed was a game plan and a positive attitude.
Once they were back on the road, Aubrey was surprised at how quickly the rest of their drive went. The streets leading up to the hills grew narrower and narrower until Landon turned onto a nameless dirt road.
“We’re almost there,” he said, glancing briefly at her.
They were halfway up the long, curvy road before she spotted the gorgeous hacienda sitting on the hilltop like a bright, sun-drenched haven. She couldn’t look away from it. When they pulled into the driveway, there was a silver Land Rover parked out front.
“Here we are,” Landon announced unnecessarily and unfurled his long frame from the car. Aubrey was still admiring the stunning villa when he opened the door for her. “I’ll get your bags and meet you at the door.”
Too tired to object, Aubrey murmured her thanks and made her way to the entrance. She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open before her knuckles reached their target. Her hand still poised midair, she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the relative darkness of the interior.
“Please come in,” a handsome silver-haired man with a slight French accent urged. “You must be Aubrey.”
She only had time to smile her thanks when Landon called out from behind, “Lucien, I hope we didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
“No, no. Not at all. I got here only a few minutes ago.” Lucien pumped Landon’s hand and slapped his back enthusiastically. The bro hug. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”
“It’s been too long.” Landon craned his neck and surveyed the villa. “Where’s Aria?”
“Come,” his friend said without answering Landon’s question. “Let me show you to your rooms.”
Rooms? The men walked ahead of Aubrey, speaking in lowered voices to each other, leaving Aubrey free to gawk at the beautiful interior of the house. Everything in it was obviously expensive, but it still felt rustic and welcoming with a cream, yellow, and brick-red interior.
Their voices remained muted, but the conversation grew fast and heated. Landon nearly knocked a ceramic vase off a side table, gesturing with hands full of her luggage. They were whisper-screaming, so Aubrey couldn’t make out what was being said, but Landon looked murderous. A mountainous cactus sporting head-to-toe spikes would shrivel at his expression. Lucien improbably maintained an air of sophisticated ennui while facing his friend’s fury.
At the top of the stairs, they turned into a wide hallway. She stole a peek at the nearest suite with a spacious bedroom, attached bathroom, and private balcony. Landon’s broad shoulders rose and fell in a sigh as though preparing for an unpleasant task. He turned in slow motion to face her, and she got the awful feeling that the unpleasantness somehow involved her. Lucien shrugged apologetically and strode a few steps away.
“You could pick,” Landon offered after a cursory look around. “Both suites are on this floor. I don’t have a preference.”
“What?”
Aubrey glared mutely at Landon, who dropped her bags and mussed his hair with both hands like he was trying to shake out a spider.
“Look, Aubrey. I don’t like the situation any better than you do. It isn’t how I’d planned our lodgings, but there’s nothing I could do about it at this point. We’re two reasonable adults. I’m sure we can share a three-thousand-square-foot villa without trampling each other.”
“Reasonable adults? Sure. Why not?” She threw her hands out and nearly smacked Lucien, who’d quietly joined them again in the face. She was too worked up to stop and apologize. “We were perfectly reasonable during our campout, so this protracted living situation shouldn’t be a problem at all.”
Landon lifted his index finger and opened his mouth as if to argue and then wisely closed it. That’s right, buster. He had nothing to say because she was right. He frowned instead, so she frowned back at him. They pretended they hadn’t almost kissed, multiple times, in the mountains, because they weren’t supposed to be in such close quarters again. But they were wrong. They were going to share a private villa for at least three freaking weeks. Just the two of them. With complete privacy. How can he stand there and bullshit