A Sweet Mess - Jayci Lee Page 0,58

up there?

Aubrey: Yes. No. Landon activated his laser vision and nearly incinerated my clothes. I think he wants me.

Tara:…

Aubrey: I mean, he isn’t even pretending not to want me. Remember the “business only” deal? Well, he means business, but not business business. He means the kind of business that happens in the bedroom.

Tara: And the shower, the kitchen, the office, the back of a car, etc. You have to broaden your horizon, my dear. So what’s the emergency?

Aubrey: You know what the damn …

She speed-dialed Tara. It would be much more satisfactory to shout at her with her mouth rather than her thumbs.

“You know damn well what the emergency is. Laser eyes and burning clothes? He wrote a shitty review about Comfort Zone, but now he’s trying to set everything right. If we sleep together and people find out, they’ll think he’s only doing it because I’m screwing him. Ring a bell?”

“And how are people going to find out? You guys have a whole private villa to frolic in. It’s the perfect setup for a secret fling. Just don’t make out in public.”

“You.” Aubrey sighed. “Are. The. Worst.”

“How is being realistic and logical the worst? I told you this would happen. Eyes wide open. Remember?”

“You were supposed to skewer me with a lightsaber before something like this happened.”

“Oh, God. That sentence is a treasure trove of puns.”

Aubrey hung up on her cackling friend, but Tara called right back. “Listen. If you really don’t want this, you need to address it head-on and bring it to an end. No more running. Talk to him. And be honest. You want him but not enough to risk your reputation and your dream. Right?”

“That’s the whole point. I don’t know what I want anymore. I have feelings for him, and I’m scared of wanting more than a frolic or a fling. The only thing I’m sure of is that I don’t want to want more.”

“Oh, Bree. I can’t help with that part. You know that, right?”

“Yes, but I’m so damn confused.”

“I know, babe, but you can do it. Figure out what you want, then make it yours.”

After they hung up, Aubrey tried to sort through her feelings, but the cacophony of what-ifs and buts in her head wouldn’t leave her alone. She longed for some sweet buns, which was crazy considering the amount of food she’d stuffed her face with earlier. Oh no. The food. She hadn’t cleaned up any of it. Not only was she a coward, she was a stinking slob.

Aubrey tiptoed back to the kitchen imagining the leftovers strewn across every usable surface. She growled and stomped her foot like a petulant kindergartener. The kitchen. The dining room. Everything looked immaculate. Landon had tidied up while she was freaking out upstairs, making her the rudest guest ever. With slumped shoulders, she trudged toward the stairs then stopped.

Her sorbet. She’d forgotten all about it. With a burst of anticipation, Aubrey unlocked the lid and peeked into the ice cream maker. The sorbet rolled smoothly into a ball against her small spoon, and she gingerly brought the dollop to her mouth.

By everything holy and sacred. It was the best sorbet she’d ever tasted. The Meyer lemon and honeysuckle in the Moscato shone through without overwhelming the flavor of the Muscat Blanc grapes. The texture was spot-on, firm without being icy and smooth without being gloppy, and the sweet morsel melted against her tongue into a smooth liquid without a hint of cloying stickiness.

On autopilot, she made for Landon’s room, taking two steps at a time. She rapped on his door, her knuckles mimicking a famous woodpecker, then she shifted from foot to foot, unable to stand still. If he didn’t answer soon, she was going to start bouncing on the balls of her feet.

When he finally opened his door, Aubrey’s knees turned to jiggly pudding. Gah. The sight of Landon shirtless and barefoot made her mouth go dry. He was dressed, or undressed, in his charcoal gray slacks and nothing else. His chiseled body could’ve been carved from marble, but her body remembered the heat of his skin, and he was anything but made of stone.

She lifted her gaze from his naked torso and swallowed. Or tried. A cold drink would come in handy. Ooh. Her sorbet would be perfect to cool her down. Excitement blooming again, she grabbed Landon’s hand and tugged him down the stairs.

“What—”

“Just come.” Aubrey couldn’t tone down her ear-to-ear grin.

Looking bewildered, Landon followed her the rest of the