Brandon (Anderson Billionaires #3) - Melody Anne Page 0,31

predict traffic or unexpected delays,” she said as she kept digging in her purse, her fingers finally landing on what she’d been searching for.

“Found my lipstick,” she said with triumph. She was already getting in a better mood. She didn’t think he was going to enjoy his evening at all, not with how spoiled he was. She definitely had an evil streak to her.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” His smile had faded, and he was gazing at her suspiciously. She might have gotten a bit too perky all of a sudden.

“It’s an adventure,” she said, feeling smug.

“We’ll do your project, then have dinner and put our heads together,” he told her. There was just the smallest amount of something in his eyes that made her think he was almost . . . vulnerable. It was something she couldn’t remember seeing before. It made her pause. If he was cocky and overbearing, she could easily keep her armor in place. If he was vulnerable, it would make her want to protect him. That was the last thing she needed.

“We aren’t going to be having dinners together. We’re working on a project. That’s it,” she reminded him.

He shrugged. “I like to eat while I work. That way I’m not wasting time. It’s killing two birds with one stone. I’m sure you do it all the time. Besides, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

She paused as she considered his words. “We aren’t exactly friends.” She wasn’t trying to be rude, but she counted very few people as her actual friends. A former one-night stand definitely didn’t fit into that category.

“I care about you, so that makes you a friend. Maybe it could be more,” he said, as if it didn’t matter to him one way or the other. He was playing this in an entirely new way that was throwing her off. She wasn’t sure what he was doing now. She didn’t like for him to be unpredictable.

“There’s no chance of it being more, but maybe we can have a sort of relationship,” she finally said. But they’d been standing there too long, making them run late. “We seriously have to go, though, so we’re going to have to table this conversation.”

“After you,” he said as he moved toward his car. She decided to be a bit more difficult as she looked at the nice vehicle.

“I think I’ll drive,” she said. “You don’t know where we’re going, and I’m terrible at giving directions.” She walked away from him and moved toward her small car. She stopped and gazed at him as he slowly approached.

He looked at the small car and gave her a fearful glance. “I really think I should just drive,” he said. “I’m parked on the curb, making it a quick exit.”

“Nope. My plans tonight, my car,” she said. She pulled open the driver’s side door and slipped inside, feeling immense satisfaction when he crammed himself into the passenger seat. That was, until his body was pressed up against hers in the tiny car. Maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea after all. She hated how stubborn she could be sometimes. It got her into situations like the one she was currently in. Maybe she could change his mind about coming along with her before they pulled out of the driveway.

“Having regrets?” she asked. “You can change your mind if you want, and I won’t think any less of you.” That was a lie. She’d think a lot less of him, but if it would get him out of her car, she’d be more than happy with his decision.

“Not at all,” he said, leaning just a bit closer to her and making her clench her teeth.

“Is this a game to you, Brandon?” she finally got the courage to ask. He looked at her, and she allowed the connection for a few moments before turning away.

“Why do you say that?” he asked.

“Because you touch me and make all these innuendos even when I tell you to stop. I don’t know if you’re so interested because I’m hard to get or what it is, but not knowing drives me slightly crazy.”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the moment we met,” he told her, sounding as if he was speaking the truth. “I’ve wanted to forget you and the power you have over me, but I’ve never been able to. So I keep on coming back for more. It’s that simple. It’s not a game at all. If I truly